The basketball regular seasons are cruising toward their finish lines. But not without plenty of significant games as the last championships are decided.
THREE POINTER:
1. Boys: Sexton 71, Waverly 66 -- A perfect February for the Big Reds also means a share of the CAAC Red championship.
2. Girls: Portland 63, Lansing Catholic 36 -- The Raiders clinched the CAAC White outright with another big win.
3. Boys: Lakewood 57, Williamston 50 -- The Vikings posted a huge upset under interim coach Wayne Piercefield and in doing so gave sole possession of first in the White back to the Lansing Catholic.
Game Ball: Ithaca's Creed Stapleton scored 19 points to go over 1,000 for his career and help the Yellowjackets clinch a share of the TVC West championship.
Upset Alert: Definitely the Lakewood/Williamston boys game. Lakewood was 5-12 and Williamston hadn't lost a league game since Jan. 8.
WOW factor: Okemos girls 49, Eastern 47. The Chieftains continue to amaze with star Whitney Turner shelved for the rest of the season. Eastern's Deborah Hoekstra scored her team's last 10 points including two free throws with seven seconds left to send the game to overtime. Then Hannah Hoffman scored with five seconds left in overtime to give Okemos the win -- and second place in the CAAC Blue.
Three more that caught my eye:
1. Girls: Olivet 65, Maple Valley 32 -- The Eagles finished 20-0 and look strong to return to the Class C state semifinals.
2. Girls: St. Johns 40, Jackson Northwest 32 -- The Redwings clinched the CAAC Red outright with another big win over the 16-4 Mounties.
3. Boys: Fulton 53, Bath 51 -- The Pirates pulled another game closer to the CMAC title, but barely.
A few final thoughts from the games I covered tonight: Sexton at Waverly
GIRLS: Waverly 63, Sexton 38
--Congrats to the Warriors for finishing 16-4 despite some horrible luck. Waverly will still give East Lansing a tough game in Monday's district opener. But if its frontcourt was healthy, the upset potential would be much greater.
--Emma Holmi needs 17 points for a 1,000 for her career, and it's been a great one. I'm not sure her career record, but I'm sure it's also outstanding. It's also been a strange road for her and her class -- she started as a freshman along with Marissa Taylor, who later transferred to a school in suburban Chicago and will play at Indiana next season. Imagine the possibilities if she'd still been here too.
--Senior Jillian Taborsky is inspiring for her team and should be for us all. She started Friday as one of the team's four seniors. She scored, as she has in five games this season. She's been in the program since sixth grade. And she's done it working with cerebral palsy.
--Sexton struggled this season, but there is a future. The Big Reds have only one senior, but two freshmen and five sophomores on varsity gaining valuable experience.
--I'd heard a lot about one of those freshmen, guard Victoria Milton, and she's going to be tough the next three years. She had 10 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in this one and is pretty advanced for a first-year player.
BOYS: Sexton 71, Waverly 66
--You'll hear from these two teams plenty over the next two seasons. Five sophomores played key roles in this game, and each team has three.
--There are more similarities. The biggest is how many players each can bring off the bench. Interchangeable parts made the foul situation not much of one. The Big Reds brought in athletes who could guard and handle the ball. The Warriors are blessed with a collection of shooters.
--That depth and a comeback from 16 down are good signs as the relatively young Big Reds go into a district in two weeks with veteran teams like Haslett and DeWitt. Sophomore guards Anthony Clemmons, Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes don't play like sophomores, and junior forward Tyrin Wade quietly had 23 points and 10 rebounds.
--Seniors Marcus Cain, James Suttles and Jordan Major have been around this program for a while, especially Major. He had a big dunk and a bigger three-point play. They'll give Sexton some needed veterans as they try to make that Class B run.
--Waverly has a lot to look forward to in the near future. It's opening attack was among the most exciting I've watched this season.
--Sophomores Rashaun Carroll and Skyelar Moore and seniors Austin McKay and Eron Jackson give the Warriors tremendous versatility in the backcourt. Carroll was 6-of-11 from the floor and 4-7 from 3-point range and Moore has been one of the area's leading scorers from day one of last season.
--Senior center Austin Barnes had a solid 10 points and seven rebounds and at 6-7 is a good matchup for some of the big guys Waverly will see from here on out. Waverly backs him with physical football standouts Andy Phillips and Ramadan Ahmeti.
High school sports editor 
