Basketball: Final Buzzer -- 12/17/10

Mid-Michigan couldn't have asked for more excitement on the final full hoops night for 2010. Here's a look at the highlights and updated LSJ rankings as 2010 comes to a close and "Get Prepped" takes a break until 2011. 

THREE POINTER

1. Boys: Okemos 79, Eastern 57 -- This switches the favorite in the CAAC Blue and continues an excellent start for the Chieftains. 

2. Boys: Sexton 65, Waverly 51 -- The Big Reds are not only arguably the best team in mid-Michigan, but with this win definitely in the driver's seat in the CAAC Red. 

3. Girls: Bath 34, Laingsburg 33 (from Thursday) -- This is the latest indication the Bees could follow up their history-making volleyball season with a CMAC girls basketball championship. 

Game ball: Another huge Okemos win, but we'll go with more of a supporting Chieftain. Junior center Taylor Moton is one of the players who must come up big to take some of the pressure off Okemos' oustanding guard tandem. He had 23 points against the Quakers. 

Upset alert: Ovid-Elsie girls 44, Freeland 40 -- The Marauders are hoping for their first winning season since 1993, and Freeland is a TVC Central favorite -- although it was missing Michigan State commit Tori Jankoska in this one. 

WOW factor: St. Johns girls 59, Jackson Northwest 36 -- The Redwings are definitely contenders again in the CAAC Red after beating a Northwest team with four starters back after winning 20 games last season. 

Three more that caught my eye:

1. Boys: Bath 52, Laingsburg 48 -- The top half of the CMAC is strong, but Bath now has the upper hand among those chasing favorite Fulton. 

2. Girls: Portland 38, Williamston 28 -- The Raiders handed the Hornets their first loss while holding onto the top spot in the CAAC White. 

3. Boys: Maple Valley 53, Kalamazoo Christian 30 -- If the Lions do some big things this winter, you heard it here first. Kalamazoo Christian is frequently a power, but Maple Valley has a powerful exchange student in 6-7 Otto Von Schwerdtner (12 points, 15 rebounds). 

State Journal rankings

GIRLS

Class A-B: 1. East Lansing, 2. DeWitt, 3. Waverly, 4. Grand Ledge, 5. Portland, 6. St. Johns, 7. Holt, 8. Okemos, 9. Williamston, 10. Haslett.

Class C-D: 1. Bath, 2. Pewamo-Westphalia, 3. Laingsburg, 4. Lansing Christian, 5. Portland St. Patrick, 6. Dansville, 7. Morrice, 8. Potterville, 9. Ithaca, 10. Fowler. 

BOYS

Class A-B: 1. Okemos, 2. Sexton, 3. Eastern, 4. Lansing Catholic, 5. East Lansing, 6. Holt, 7. Waverly, 8. Williamston, 9. St. Johns, 10. Haslett. 

Class C-D: 1. Fulton, 2. Bath, 3. Pewamo-Westphalia, 4. Laingsburg, 5. Portland St. Patrick, 6. Maple Valley, 7. Ithaca, 8. Dansville, 9. Lansing Christian, 10. Leslie.