Flashback Friday: 1988 Class B Boys Basketball Final
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN 69 REDFORD BISHOP BORGESS 66
A battle of future Michigan State University players was a feature of the Class B showdown. Matt Steigenga of Grand Rapids South Christian, and Parish Hickman, 6-7, 205-pound forward from Redford Bishop Borgess, were the focal points of the game. Leading 53-45 after three quarters, Borgess appeared to be in the driver’s seat.
However, Steigenga began a Sailor comeback with a thundering dunk off an offensive rebound to open the fourth quarter of play. South Christian scored eight of the next 10 points, tying the contest at 55 with 5:29 remaining. Despite picking up his fourth personal foul before the end of the first half, Steigenga grabbed six offensive rebounds in the final frame, while Mark Wierenga, scored eight of his 21 points as the Sailors defeated Borgess, 69-66.
The Spartans had one last chance when sophomore Shawn Respert hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to pull within three. The future MSU star launched a 35-footer at the buzzer that could have tied the game, but the shot bounced off the rim. Steigenga and Hickman each finished with 21 points apiece.
As reported by the Michigan Daily:
Grand Rapids South Christian’s Matt Steigenga and Redford Bishop Borgess’ Parrish Hickman will be teammates next year at Michigan State. But Saturday the two were pitted against each other in the Class B high school basketball finals at Crisler Arena. Both tied for game highs with 21 points and 15 rebounds, but Steigenga’s surrounding core was three points better than Hickman’s, as South Christian came from be-hind to post a 69-66 victory. The Steigenga-Hickman showdown almost fizzled early. Steigenga, Michigan’s 1988 Mr. Basketball, committed his fourth personal foul with 1:10 remaining in the first half. He sat out for the rest of the half, but started the second half and played all 16 minutes, never picking up his fifth foul. SOUTH CHRISTIAN coach Tom Dykema did not consider leaving the 6-7 forward on the bench to start the second half. “We can’t win without him,” said
Dykema, “I didn’t think of pulling him. He’s played with four fouls in six or seven games this year and he hasn’t fouled out once. He just plays. smart basketball.” With or without Steigenga, the outlook was dim for South Christian
(26-1) as the four quarter began. The Sailors trailed, 53-45, after three quarters, but a Steigenga dunk opening the fourth quarter spurred a 10-2 run as South Christian fought back to tie the score at 55 with 5:30 remaining.
SENIOR GUARD Mark Weirenga, who tied Steigenga and Hickman for high-scoring honors with 21 points, connected on five of six free throws down the stretch as the Sailors gradually pulled away. Steigenga made both ends of a one-and-one with 1:11 remaining, giving South Christian a 67-61 lead. Borgess (23-4) pulled to within
69-66 when guard Shawn Respert hit a three-pointer with nine seconds left. Borgess then had a chance to
tie when a South Christian traveling violation gave Borgess the ball at its own end with two seconds left. But a
desperation half-court three point shot was wide right, giving South Christian its first state title. Though he was surprised that Steigenga started the second half, Borgess coach Michael Fusco was not shocked that South Christian was able to overcome its eight-point deficit. “It felt good having the lead,” said Fusco, “but we said before the game that we had to play the full 32 min-utes. We knew South Christian would come at us and they did,” said
Fusco.