Negaunee's Ella Mason gives directions on the floor in the second quarter of a high school girls basketball game played against Marquette at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

By BEN SANDERS

Bentor Harbor Herald-Palladium

Buchanan’s Faith Carson has been named the Michigan Associated Press Division 3 Player of the Year.

Carson, who has signed to play at Ohio State next season, averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game.

She was even better in the postseason, producing 25.2 points and 16.8 rebounds per contest, and posting her second triple-double of the season with 29 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 70-47 regional championship victory over Kalamazoo Christian.

She led the Bucks to their first regional title in more than 20 years.

Two Upper Peninsula players made the all-state Second Team, including junior Ella Mason of Negaunee. She was joined by senior Isabella Hebert of Hancock.

Mason was the Miners’ leading scorer at 20.5 points per game, also averaging 4.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting 47% on 2-point shots and 79% at the free-throw line.

Her scoring was rather remarkable considering that Negaunee, which finished 22-5 and had a 19-game winning streak until its final game being eliminated in the MHSAA tournament, scored over 60 points just three times all season.

Among her top performances was 27 points vs. Calumet in the regular season and 25 vs. Gwinn.

Buchanan’s Carson missed almost her entire junior season due to an ankle injury, but it didn’t slow down her development on the basketball court.

Carson, the 2023 Associated Press Division 3 Girls Basketball Player of the Year, showed off improvements in almost every area of her game as a senior, leading the Bucks to their first regional title in more than 20 years.

Carson, who has signed to play at Ohio State next season, averaged 20.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game. She was even better in the postseason, producing 25.2 points and 16.8 rebounds per contest, and posting her second triple-double of the season with 29 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks in a 70-47 regional championship victory over Kalamazoo Christian.

“No one really got to see Faith as a junior,” Buchanan coach Gabe Miller said. “She got back the tail end of her season, but wasn’t really back.

“She upped her averages against the best competition. She was a lot more patient on offense. She did a lot better job protecting the rim and not getting herself in foul trouble.”

Carson led the Bucks to a 13-1 record and a district championship as a sophomore during the pandemic-shortened 2021 campaign, but as a junior came off the court early in the season opener with what was later diagnosed as a fractured ankle. She didn’t play again until the Bucks’ district final victory over Watervliet.

Once healthy, she played travel basketball in the summer, then had a busy fall, earning Lakeland Conference MVP honors in volleyball while still finding time to hone her basketball skills.

A big point of emphasis was improving her outside shooting touch. She made 21 3-pointers this season, sinking them at a 34 percent clip, and shot 76 percent from the free-throw line.

“Just playing as a center, I would get triple teamed,” Carson said. “When we went five out, it was harder for teams to guard.”

The Bucks lost their season opener, then won 23 straight games and earned the top spot in the Division 3 AP poll before being upset by Hart 45-41 in the quarterfinals.

Carson didn’t dwell on the loss for too long.

“We lost on Tuesday, and Thursday she was already bugging me to try to get in the gym,” Miller said. “It will be a learning curve, but I think she’s got the work ethic to make an impact at Ohio State.”

Carson’s future teammates are making their own impressive postseason run, ending Connecticut’s 14-year Final Four streak with a 73-61 upset victory on Saturday.

“I’m definitely excited to be a part of that,” Carson said.

Carson was one of five seniors on the AP Division 3 first team, along with Regan Finkbeiner of state champion Hemlock, Stephanie Utomi of Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, Zoie Bamm of Brooklyn Columbia Central and Lexie Bower of Kent City.

Also chosen were three juniors, Dansville’s Megan Zeitz, Lake City’s MacKenzie Bisballe and Springport’s Maddux Overweg, and a pair of sophomores, Kalamazoo Christian’s Jordyn Bonnema, Hart’s Addi Hovey and Genesee’s Ryleigh Zinn.

Hemlock’s Scott Neumeyer was the Coach of the Year.