1999 Girls Basketball

The 1999 DeWitt Girls Basketball team finished the season 25-1 with its only loss coming in the Class B semi-finals. With three starters back from a team that suffered a disappointing early exit from the state tournament in 1998, together with an undefeated junior varsity squad, Coach Bill McCullen’s team was highly motivated and prepared for arguably the most impressive season in school history. DeWitt cruised through the regular season undefeated (the only time in school history) and brought home the program’s third straight Ingham County League Championship. The Panthers averaged an impressive 59.3 points per game, while winning by an average of 24.1 points, and entered the state tournament ranked #3 in the state by the Associated Press. Balanced scoring, unselfish play, and stifling full court defense led to one-sided victories over Portland and Haslett, allowing DeWitt to complete a season sweep of both arch-rivals and capture the Class B District crown. With hard-fought wins over Saginaw Swan Valley (48-35) and Frankenmuth (52-43), DeWitt captured the program’s first ever Class B Regional Championship on its home floor. The Panthers knocked off a 24-1 Petoskey team 44-36 in the quarterfinals, with a defensive effort that held the Norsemen to their lowest scoring output of the season and clinched a berth in the Class B Final Four. The girls’ dreams for a perfect season were cut short with a heart-breaking 59-55 loss to Flint Powers Catholic (26-1) at Central Michigan University’s Rose Arena in Mount Pleasant. The 25 consecutive wins still stand as a school record. The 1999 Girls Basketball team included the following members: Erin Ballinger, Erin Block, Janette Bourdon, Nicole Cappelletti, Christy Drayton, Elizabeth Jury, Alex Reed, Amy Siwek, Jennifer Smith, Lisa VanDreumel, Head Coach Bill McCullen, and assistant coaches Sam Dalman and Ron Marlan.