DEWITT, Mich (WLNS) – The High School Girls Basketball District 15 Division 1 quarterfinal matchups were a tale of two halves in both showdowns. First, the Haslett Vikings took on Lansing Waverly in what was a defensive battle for the first half. Second, the hosting DeWitt Panthers took on the St. Johns Redwings who kept up with the Panthers and only trailed by ten points at halftime.

In the first game, Haslett was able to find its shooters in the second quarter with Emily Homan and Grace Isenhath leading the Vikings in scoring. Homan finished with 14 points while Isenhath finished with 13. Isenhath hit three three-pointers in the first half which later helped other shooters get open as she saw more pressure from the Warriors’ defense. Waverly’s Marly Garrett finished with a team-high eight points but the Vikings’ offense was too much for Waverly to handle, leading to a running clock in the second half and a 77-24 Haslett victory.

After the game, Isenhath and head coach Ross Baker shared how much this team and this season have meant to them.

“It’s meant so much I don’t even have words for it,” said Isenhath. “It’s really awesome experiencing this as a sophomore and just know that I have two more years but I love being on this team and I wouldn’t want to be on another one.”

“Happy and let’s celebrate it and let’s enjoy the bus ride home but then tonight and tomorrow all our focus turns to Grand Ledge and on to the next step,” said Baker.

In the second game between DeWitt and St. Johns, both teams struggled to shoot the ball to start the game. DeWitt led 14-8 after the first quarter but the Panthers would start to find their range shooting on their home rims. Hannah Kurncz sank a big three-pointer in the first half and would go on to finish with 17 points. Kurncz’s fellow senior leader, Isabelle Gilmore, also led with 17 points of her own while running the Panthers’ powerful offense from the point guard position.

St. Johns’ star senior, Rachel Rustad, led the Redwings with a game-high 19 points but it wasn’t enough as the Panthers pulled away in the second half, leading to a 69-41 DeWitt victory. The Panthers will host East Lansing on Wednesday night, tip-off is set for 7 p.m.