Detroit Renaissance fends off DeWitt rally to make Division 1 title game

Mar 21, 2026 - 02:00

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Detroit Renaissance fends off DeWitt rally to make Division 1 title game

East Lansing — It was dicey at the end, but ultimately Detroit Renaissance didn’t fall victim to what Belleville did, which was a frantic fourth-quarter comeback by DeWitt.

For the first time since 2021, Renaissance (23-2) will play for a state championship in girls basketball after gutting out a 32-28 win over DeWitt in a Division 1 state semifinal on Friday.

Renaissance will meet Muskegon at 12:15 p.m. Saturday for the championship.

“It’s like my heart stopped a few times for sure,” a relieved Renaissance coach DaShaun Wood said.

It was certainly hard to blame Wood and the rest of Renaissance for feeling that way.

On Tuesday, DeWitt stunned defending state champion Belleville with a fourth-quarter comeback, rallying from a seven-point deficit to pull out a 48-41 win.

Detroit Renaissance’s Maria Walker dribbles down the court while DeWitt’s Jaynie English guards her during Detroit Renaissance’s 32-38 Div. 1 state semifinal victory on Friday, March 20, 2026 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.

Likewise, Renaissance looked to be in control in the fourth quarter, up 28-19 with 6:15 remaining.

But DeWitt mounted a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to 28-26 with 2:57 left, sending a partisan DeWitt crowd into a frenzy.

Senior Sophia Beland hit a layup, stole an inbounds pass and then hit another layup to make it 28-23. Following another steal, DeWitt junior Jaynie English hit a 3-pointer to make it 28-26 Renaissance.

The teams traded baskets to make it 30-28 Renaissance, but then Renaissance missed four consecutive free throws in the final 32.3 seconds.

However, Renaissance got the ball back both times after free-throw misses, once when a DeWitt rebounder stepped on the end line trying to secure the ball and another on an offensive rebound by senior Alehia Wade.

Following a timeout, Renaissance sophomore Kassidy Cain was fouled with 15.3 seconds left. Cain sank both free throws to make it 32-28, and then Renaissance got a stop to seal the game.

“Yeah, that was tough,” DeWitt coach Bill McCullen said of giving up those offensive rebounds on the missed free throws. “We’re so close to one, but we stepped on the end line, which would have been a huge possession. Obviously, we felt like we had some momentum building and getting our crowd into it.”

Trailing 17-14 at halftime, Renaissance surged ahead with a strong third quarter, outscoring DeWitt 12-2 in the stanza to take a 26-19 lead into the fourth quarter.

Wood said confidence was the simple key for his team in that third-quarter run.

“I thought in the first half, we never really settled in offensively,” he said. “We’ve had those moments a few times this year. Just settling into the game and believing in our abilities.”

Only one player scored in double figures in the defensive slugfest, and that was Beland, who finished with 10 points.

It wasn’t pretty, but Renaissance will get a crack at what would be its first title in the state’s highest classification. Renaissance’s only previous title came in Class B back in 2005.

“They’re hungry,” Wood said of Muskegon. “They’re seniors and they know what’s on the line. We know we’re going to get their best shot.”