By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema

The Breslin Center feels like home to the Tri-unity Defenders. The team has played in four consecutive state finals, this time avenging a two-point loss from last season.

“Last year, we played not to lose,” legendary Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler said. “That was one of the emphases I had. We need to play to win the game, not to play afraid that we are going to lose. It seems like it’s the same thing, but it’s not. It’s huge, and you don’t play up to your potential if you focus on the negative.

We made sure this year that we focused on the positive.”

The Defenders (24-5) reached that potential, winning their second Division 4 state title in three seasons in convincing fashion 79-59 over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Saturday at Michigan State University.

“It was a very emotional game,” Keeler said. “I had to say goodbye to so many young men I truly love and respect. I’m going to miss all of them. I’m going to miss their camaraderie, their unselfishness, and they truly enjoy each other. Those are fun things to have on your team.”

VanKlompenberg and Rosendall will graduate with two state titles

Senior captains Jordan VanKlompenberg and Owen Rosendall were the catalysts for the Defenders. Both play a vital role in the suffocating Tri-unity defense while being the motor for the offense. The seniors end their high school careers winning two state finals in four attempts.

“Jordan and Owen are my two captains; I can not say enough about those two,” Keeler explained. “They have to guard the two best opposing players every game. It was that way again today. They were amazing. I’m really happy with them.”

VanKlompenberg led with 19 points, Rosendall added 14

VanKlompenberg led the Defenders with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Rosendall added 14 points and six rebounds. 

“The state title means everything,” Rosendall said. “It’s the all-time goal for everyone’s season. This year was special because it was our last game. It was a bittersweet ending, but I couldn’t be more proud of our team. This team means everything; we treat each other like brothers. Our chemistry on the court is above average compared to other teams; it feels like we know where everyone is on the court all the time.”

Tight first quarter

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart played strong out of the gate and controlled the early portion of the first quarter, leading 8-4 midway through it.

 Grady Pieratt led the Saints with 21 points, while Noah Zeien added 14.

“Noah is tough and a very nice player, but his size hurt him against us because we could contest his shots,” Keeler explained.

VanKlompenberg hit a three-point shot with 3:33 left in the first to put Tri-unity up 11-10, and they wouldn’t look back after that.

The NCAA three-point line can confuse the players trying to adjust to the different layout of the Breslin Center court.

“I told them to stand on the line,” said Keeler, whose team was 7-17 from the three-point line. “We did a lot better job taking better shots and knocking them down.” 

All five starters in double-digit scoring

The entire starting five for Tri-unity scored double-digit points. Akais Giplaye scored 11 points, followed by Keaton Blanker, a second-straight double-double with 11 points and 12 assists and Wes Kaman added 10 points.

“Good balance; they shared the ball,” Keeler explained. “That’s what I love about it. I don’t think my guys have a selfish bone in their bodies. All they want to do is help the team win.”

 

The 6-4 Giplaye has been a constant force in the defensive paint for the Defenders. Keeler said Giplaye is made for this defensive scheme.

“It means a lot coming from Coach Keeler,” Giplaye said. “He’s been winning for a long time. Having a coach who helps us become young men and encourages us to reflect Christ on the court, I’m honored to have him as a coach.

“It takes commitment, determination, dedication, discipline, and hard work. We’ve been through the wars, the ups and downs, but we kept moving forward, and through the end, we won a trophy. It’s a memory that will never be forgotten.”

By Ty Marzean

WKTV Contributor

(Photos Courtesy Becky Rillema)

The Tri-unity Christian boys basketball team used its depth and signature defense to wear down St. Ignace in a back-and-forth matchup in a Division 4 semifinal Thursday at the Breslin Center.

In a game that saw 11 lead change, including multiple ones in the fourth quarter, the Defenders hit late free throws to ice the game, advancing to a fourth-straight Division 4 state championship with a 60-53 win over St. Ignace in East Lansing.

“We are very blessed; it would be a great finish to this year”

“It’s surreal, it’s hard to believe,” said Tri-unity Coach Mark Keeler, whose team has a chance to win two state championships in three years. “We are very blessed. It would be a great finish to this year. These guys have worked so hard and made sacrifices to play tough, nasty defense.”

Two Tri-unity seniors, Jordan VanKlompenberg and Owen Rosendall, will play in their fourth state final game. Both played as freshmen on the 2020-21 Division 4 state runner-up team. 

St. Ignace senior Jonny Ingalls continued his torrid pace throughout the 2024 postseason. The future Northern Michigan University Wildcat scored 14 of the Saints’ 16 first-quarter points, and the Saints held a three-point lead after one frame in the semifinal.

Ingalls averaged 30 points in the postseason and ended the final game of his high school career with 31 points, four assists, and two steals.

“He was unbelievable,” Keeler said. “He had a little bit more than what we would have liked. I figured he would have around 20-25 points. He’s a great player.” 

Tri-unity was pressing early in the game, making several unforced errors unfamiliar to the disciplined Defenders.

“I was a little disappointed in how we played early on, but sometimes you have to win games like that,” Keeler explained. “We turned the ball over and started the game off trying to hit NBA threes.”

St. Ignace led 26-25 at the half

The score was almost even at the half; St. Ignace was up 26-25 after 16 minutes of play.  

After the break, the Defenders’ depth was felt. St. Ignace would only shoot 31.8% from the field for the remainder of the game and a lowly 40% from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

“I thought we played good enough defense to stay in the game,” Keeler said. “I felt that we would eventually turn things around. I told the guys that if we keep pressing the ball down the court and play tough defense, we could wear them down. They didn’t have a lot of depth; they got worn out.”

Keaton Blanker led with 19 points, including 10 free throws and 10 boards

Junior guard Keaton Blanker continued his productive playoff run with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Blanker hit 10 of 11 free throws; two of which put the game out of reach with less than 30 seconds remaining.

Wes Kaman grabs 14 points, 6 boards

The Defenders have a new hero every game. In the semifinal game, Wes Kaman would take his turn to showcase his offensive skills, scoring 14 points and adding six rebounds.

“That’s what helps make our team so tough; you never know who will step up. They came out the second half with more discipline and knocked down some easier wide-open threes as well,” Keeler said.

Giplaye and Rillema with 13 rebounds

Akais Giplaye and Trey Rillema provided a rock-solid presence in the paint for the Defenders. Giplaye snatched eight boards, while Rillema grabbed five in limited playing time. 

“Akais is just a rock for us inside; you are not going to take the ball away from him,” Keeler said. “Trey had five rebounds but didn’t play much in the second half.”

 Ingalls cooled off significantly for the Saints in the second half, missing multiple shots from beyond the arc and the free-throw line.

“I thought he got tired,” Keeler explained. “We rotate and have guys rested. I thought we played great defense. We did everything we could to contain him, and he got tired in the second half, and we took advantage of that.

“I told the boys at halftime that a good team will beat one player no matter how good he is, and he got tired. That was the difference in the game. He can shoot; he just didn’t shoot as well in the second half.”

The Defenders play a familiar foe in the finals, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart. The two teams met in early December, Tri-unity won that game 71-41.

“We played them in the third game of the year,” Keeler said. “They don’t have a lot of depth either, so our desire will be to push the ball on them and wear them down. They have three really good guards, and they do a solid job.”

Tri-unity (23-5) will face Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (26-2) in the Division 4 finals at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the Breslin Center. The game will be aired live on Bally Sports Detroit.