Southwest Michigan Girls Basketball History Made as Area Teams Advance to State Finals
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Records fell, scoreboards popped and contenders rose across Southwest Michigan this winter. It was a season to remember for girls basketball.
The 2025-26 girls basketball season delivered another strong showing of talent in the Kalamazoo-area, with teams battling through the regular season and into a postseason that concluded with the state finals at Michigan State's Breslin Center.
With the season wrapped up, MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette has assembled its annual Dream Team, recognizing the area's top players into first team, second team, next five and honorable mention categories, along with a Player of the Year and a Coach of the Year.
Check out all the standouts who helped define another spectacular season for hoops across Kalamazoo.
Coach of the Year: Kelly Allen, Kalamazoo Christian
Scenes during a girls high school basketball game between Kalamazoo Christian and Schoolcraft at Kalamazoo Christian High School in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.
After seeing its most decorated player depart to Grand Valley State, there was plenty of reason to believe Kalamazoo Christian's run of dominance would finally slow.
Kelly Allen never let that become reality. Instead, the veteran head coach retooled on the fly, leaning on a seasoned senior core and emerging star power to guide Kalamazoo Christian to yet another championship caliber season.
The Comets captured their fourth straight SAC-Valley title, fourth consecutive district championship, and advanced to a fourth straight regional final.
K-Christian compiled its ninth straight winning season under Allen's watch, finishing with a 19-5 record and a No. 11 ranking in Division 3.
Allen was instrumental in developing Elli VanDusen into the program's next star, as the 6-foot junior forward eclipsed 1,000 points and 500 rebounds for her career this season.
She also guided K-Christian's four seniors — Reese Gernaat, Lily Manion, Reegan Zuiderveen and Lucia Penzotti — into impactful players, including Manion, who flourished into becoming one of the area's most dangerous outside shooters.
For a third consecutive season, K-Christian met Niles Brandywine in the Division 3 regional finals, and gave the Southwest Michigan dynamo a battle in a 62-50 loss.
K-Christian was one of just two teams to make the regional finals in this year's state tournament.
K-Christian's 2025-26 season marked another chapter in sustained excellence — a testament to Allen's consistency, culture and ability to keep the Comets among the elites of Division 3.
Player of the Year: Lucy Young, Kalamazoo Hackett
Hackett Catholic Prep sophomore Lucy Young (34) shoots free throws during a girls basketball game at Kalamazoo Hackett Prep High School on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
After taking Southwest Michigan by storm last season, Kalamazoo Hackett's coaches knew exactly what to expect from Lucy Young. Even so, they were left speechless.
"She's just a matchup problem," Hackett coach Erin Gallagher said.
That's the type of unforgettable and historic season Young accomplished, rewriting Kalamazoo Hackett's record books as one of the most gifted young players in recent Southwest Michigan history.
The prolific scoring 6-foot-2 forward recorded averages of 21.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 steals per game en route to joining the 1,000-point club and leading Hackett to its seventh consecutive winning season.
The Division-I prospect also set Hackett's all-time single-game scoring record across both boys and girls basketball, pouring in 44 points with 11 rebounds in a blowout win over Galesburg-Augusta.
Young eclipsed Tim McGuire's 43-point outing in February 1964, when the school was formerly known as St. Augustine.
Not bad for a sophomore.
"It's hard to guard someone who's 6-2 with that kind of ability," Gallagher said.
"Who are you going to put on her?"
It was a conundrum many oppositions faced this season, as Young imposed her will around the basket — and powered Hackett to an 11-game winning streak down the stretch of the season.
Young reached the 30-point mark five times, including 35 points with 17 rebounds against Division 2 Hopkins and 30 points with eight rebounds versus Climax-Scotts.
She finished the season shooting 47 percent from the field and didn't play in the fourth quarter of eight games.
Young's 44-point night was one to remember for Gallagher.
"I just turned around and smiled at her parents in the crowd because she couldn't miss," he said.
Currently, Young holds several Division-I offers including Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Detroit Mercy, and became a first team all-state selection and first team Kalamazoo Dream Team honoree last season.
She averaged 21.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.7 steals per game as a freshman — highlighted by a rare triple-double (26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals).
The best part of all? Young is just getting started.
"You can tell she's a gym rat," Gallagher said. "Whenever we want to open the gym, she's the first one to say yes. You just don't normally see that out of a sophomore. Once she figures out she's taller and stronger than most players, she's going to be even more dominant."
First Team Honorees
Ly'Nique Cunningham, South Haven
Cunningham solidified her place as one of the area's most electric scorers this winter, leading South Haven to a third straight SAC-Lakeshore title with an all-around dominant season.
With speed to burn and defensive prowess, the 5-foot-3 phenom averaged 24 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 5.9 steals per game.
A 1,000-point scorer and 2025 all-state honoree, Cunningham recorded a rare triple-double featuring 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 steals in a win over Buchanan, along with adding a 42-point outing to her standout resume.
Dani Glass, Three Rivers
With a knack to get buckets in bunches, Glass put it all together for a sensational senior campaign — one that etches her name Three Rivers' record books.
The prolific scoring guard went unconscious in late February, tying Three Rivers' single-game scoring record (42) in a double-overtime win over Niles, along with a 41-point performance in a win over Paw Paw.
Glass, a first team all-Wolverine selection, paced Three Rivers to an 11-12 record by flexing a team-high 18 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, along with shooting 72 percent from the free throw line.
Brooke Smalldon, Otsego
Whether it be scoring at will, controlling the paint or picking pockets, Smalldon had her finger on the pulse of her team throughout the season.
The Otsego junior led the Bulldogs to a regional final appearance, finishing with a 16-8 record and earning first team all-district honors.
Smalldon averaged 18.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game, establishing herself as one of the most complete players in Division 2.
What It Means for the Area
This year's Dream Team reflects the depth and quality of girls basketball talent across Southwest Michigan.
From Kalamazoo Christian to Hackett, from South Haven to Three Rivers, the area continues to produce elite players who compete at the highest level.
The state finals at Breslin Center showed that Kalamazoo-area teams are not just good — they are among the best in the state.
As the season winds down, these players will move on to the next chapter of their basketball journey, whether that means college recruitment, more high school competition, or other opportunities.
But for now, they can look back on another incredible season that added to the rich basketball history of Southwest Michigan.
Full Dream Team Honorees
Second Team:
- Ella Martinez, Niles Brandywine
- Sarah Thompson, Galesburg-Augusta
- Jessica Williams, Schoolcraft
- Amanda Brown, Paw Paw
- Rachel Davis, Otsego
Next Five:
- Megan Wilson, Battle Creek Central
- Ashley Miller, Coldwater
- Taylor Anderson, Plainwell
- Emily Taylor, Marshall
- Olivia Thomas, Richland
Honorable Mention:
- Sophia Garcia, Vicksburg
- Isabella Rodriguez, Comstock
- Charlotte White, Plainwell
- Amelia Harris, Schoolcraft
- Harper Lewis, Paw Paw
Player of the Year:
- Lucy Young, Kalamazoo Hackett
Coach of the Year:
- Kelly Allen, Kalamazoo Christian