LAKE CITY — It took a Miss Basketball finalist to finally take Petoskey down.
Flint Powers senior Kendyl Smith scored a game-high 16 points to lead the No. 5-ranked Chargers (24-3) to a 53-38 win over Petoskey (22-4) in Wednesday’s Division 2 girls basketball quarterfinal at Lake City.
The loss snapped Petoskey’s streak of 11 consecutive victories.
“We’ve been through quite a bit together and that’s what makes a team special,” second-year coach Brooke Carlson said. “We’ve been through ups and down and that made for a heck of a season.”
Petoskey won the program’s first regional championship since 1999.
“It’s certainly something to be proud of,” Carlson said. “You obviously always want more.”
Elaina Flynn led Petoskey with 12 points, Lauren LaHaie and Ella Sulitis scored nine each and Lyla Janes and Leah Sulitis added four points apiece.
Aside from Smith’s 16, Paige Ringwelski scored 14, Evah Smith had eight and Bella Harley and Presley Schriver each scored five for Powers, which moves on to play No. 3 Tecumseh (25-2) in Friday’s semifinals at Michigan State University.
Petoskey graduates four seniors — including center Leah Sulitis, LaHaie, Kiley Bromley and Claire O’Donnell — but also returns a large amount of experience among a young core.
“We’re really going to miss our seniors,” Carlson said. “They are going to be a tough group to replace.”
Petoskey’s top three scorers were all underclassmen. Flynn and Ella Sulitis are freshmen and Janes a sophomore.
“We have some good pieces coming back,” Carlson said. “We have to keep building up the program.”