March 21, 2026 — 4:26 PM EST
By Jeremy Symons
Game Details
Final: Ishpeming 48, St. Patrick 28
Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026 (10 AM)
Location: MSU Breslin Center — East Lansing, MI
Tournament: MHSAA Division 4 Girls Basketball Final
On Their Terms: Ishpeming Wins It All
From the opening minutes inside the Breslin Center, you could feel it.
Not nerves. Not pressure.
Control.
Ishpeming didn’t just win a state championship Saturday morning — they dictated it.
A 48–28 win over Portland St. Patrick sealed the program’s second title in three years, but more than that, it showed exactly who they are when everything is on the line.
...
Early Feel: Finding Rhythm
The game opened tight.
Scoreless for the first minute and a half. Possessions mattered. Shots didn’t fall right away.
Then Mya Hemmer settled things.
A turnaround bucket. A putback. Then a block that turned into a coast-to-coast euro-step finish.
Just like that, the tone shifted.
By the end of the first quarter, Ishpeming led 14–13, but it didn’t feel like a one-point game.
It felt like something was building.
...
The Separation: Defense Turns Into Everything
The second quarter is where it broke.
Not with a run fueled by hot shooting.
With defense. With discipline. With presence.
Ishpeming held St. Patrick scoreless the entire quarter.
They forced turnovers with their half-court pressure. They controlled the glass. They turned stops into clean, composed offense.
And at the center of it all was Hemmer.
Blocks. Rebounds. Second-chance points. Interior control.
By halftime:
- 14 points
- 10 rebounds
- 5 blocks
A double-double before the break — complete control of the paint.
Alongside her, Jenessa Eagle balanced scoring with relentless on-ball defense, disrupting St. Patrick’s rhythm possession after possession.
The result: a 15–0 quarter and a 29–13 lead at the half.
...
No Momentum Given Back
Good teams make runs.
Championship teams don’t allow them.
Every time St. Patrick tried to find life in the third quarter, Ishpeming answered immediately.
A deep three from Eagle.
A transition finish from Hemmer.
Another block. Then another.
At one point, St. Patrick went over 10 minutes without a field goal, a stretch that defined the game.
By the end of the third: 36–20.
The gap wasn’t just on the scoreboard.
It was in the control, the composure, the execution.
...
Closing It Out — The Right Way
St. Patrick made one final push early in the fourth, cutting into the lead with a quick run.
But Ishpeming never let it become a moment.
They slowed it down. Moved the ball. Trusted each other.
Eagle created off the dribble.
Hemmer turned defense into offense again.
Free throws were handled. Possessions were valued.
Then came the moment.
With 1:35 remaining, Hemmer checked out:
Hemmer:
- 18 points
- 17 rebounds
- 9 blocks
Not just a stat line — a performance that controlled every layer of the game.
Shortly after, Eagle exited:
Eagle:
- 19 points
- 11 rebounds
Two seniors. One final walk off the Breslin Center floor.
...
What This Means
This wasn’t just a win.
This was execution.
This was identity.
This was a team playing exactly how they’ve played all season — just on the biggest stage.
Ishpeming becomes:
- Division 4 State Champions (2026)
- Second title in three years (2024, 2026)
- One of the few U.P. programs with multiple state championships
Head coach Ryan Reichel secured his second state championship — a moment built through years of experience, setbacks, and belief in the way Ishpeming plays.
After the game, he summed up the journey with one word:
perseverance.
A week defined by schedule changes, travel challenges, and three games in four days — all leading to this moment.
And when it arrived, Ishpeming didn’t waver.
They played with control. With discipline. With purpose.
Exactly the way it was drawn up.
Because when it’s time—
they showed up.
...
About the author
Jeremy “Syms” Symons is the founder of Roundballin, a Michigan-based designer, creative director, and storyteller documenting basketball through design, media, and culture.