2014-2015 Girls Basketball

With a core of veteran players eager to leave their mark, expectations were high for Coach Bill McCullen’s team entering the 2014-2015 season. The team’s only blemish in the regular season came at the hands of archrival and Class B #1-ranked Haslett, but the girls avenged that loss later in the season to earn a share of the league title. The Panthers entered the state tournament ranked #4 in the state and rolled over East Lansing and Lansing Eastern before defeating Waverly 53-38 to capture the program’s first ever Class A District Championship. Balanced scoring and tenacious team defense kept the run alive with a thrilling 48-43 overtime victory over #5-ranked Ann Arbor Huron in the regional semi-final game. The Panthers brought home the program’s first ever Class A Regional title with a 10-point victory over Kalamazoo Central. With a 65-37 win over Forest Hills Central in the quarterfinals, DeWitt advanced to the Class A Final Four at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. A hard-fought 44-36 victory over Saginaw Heritage sent DeWitt to its first state championship game appearance since 1977. DeWitt battled #1-ranked and reigning state champion Bloomfield Hills Marian in the final, but ultimately fell 51-37 to the Mustangs, who were ranked eighth nationally by USA Today. DeWitt tied the program record for most wins in a season with 25, including an impressive 18-game winning streak. The girls were battle tested as they defeated six league champions and seven district championship teams – a remarkable journey that will be remembered as one of the most successful seasons in program history. Members of the 2014-2015 Varsity Girls Basketball Team included: Alex Bilbo, Mackenzie Dawes, Grace George, Lilly George, Gabby Iacobellis, Jessah McManus, Maria Moss, Maddie Mowry, Abby Nakfoor, Shannon O’Connor, Cayce Palmer, Claudia Reid, Bailey Slater, Summer Ward, Manager Megan Brandell, Assistant Coaches Sam Dalman and Marcy Uyl, and Head Coach Bill McCullen.