High School

A Michigan High School Basketball Playoff Game Ends With an Insane Buzzer Beater

Ann Arbor Pioneer knocks off Detroit Catholic Central with a wild buzzer beater.
Conner Lisner|
Canton's Jake Vickers puts up a shot against Pioneer. Canton Ann Arbor Pioneer Basketball 8
Canton's Jake Vickers puts up a shot against Pioneer. Canton Ann Arbor Pioneer Basketball 8 | Tom Beaudoin | Special to Hometownlife.com, Hometownlife.com via Imagn Content Services, LLC

There’s nothing quite like playoff basketball, and that excitement was on full display in the MHSAA regionals during the regional semifinal between Ann Arbor Pioneer and Detroit Catholic Central.

Buzzer Beater of a Lifetime

With the game tied up at 44 a piece, and 1.2 seconds left in the game, Pioneer had a baseline out of bounds inbound. Pioneer's Anders Whitridge snuck around the lane and received a lob pass, where he caught it in the air and quickly released it. The ball fell right over the front of the rim and rolled into the hoop, giving Pioneer a buzzer-beater win 46-44 and creating a court-storming chaos from the Pioneer students.

Ann Arbor Pioneer Moves On to the Regional Finals

With the two-point victory, Pioneer is now 21-4 on the season and is one of the hottest teams in the state, winning 16 of their last 17 games. The Pioneers have a difficult matchup coming up on Thursday against Canton, which is 16-8, but is on a four-game winning streak, beating Livonia Franklin, Belleville, Ypsilanti Lincoln, and Hartland. The winner of this will play East Lansing or Kalamazoo Central in the state quarterfinal on March 10.

Pioneer is one of the best defensive teams in the state, allowing just 47 points per game. Their defense has carried them this far, and with the Pioneers now facing a single-elimination format, it’s a strength they can continue to rely on moving forward.

Detroit Catholic Central Ends a Phenomal 2025-26 Season

Despite the loss on Tuesday night, Catholic Central had a phenomenal season and should hold its head high. The Shamrocks finished with an impressive 16-7 record and even knocked off Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, the 2024 Division 1 state champions.

Parody in the MHSAA Basketball Tournament This Year

The best part about the MHSAA basketball tournament is that there are so many great matchups that create chaos, similar to the NCAA's March Madness tournament. There have already been 22 top-100 ranked teams knocked off, and with the tournament reaching the regional finals, we will see more high-level matchups that will have exciting finishes.

A game Michigan high school basketball fans should keep an eye on is on Thursday when River Rouge matches up against 2025 Division 1 runner-up Wayne Memorial. Wayne is on a 14 game winning streak and River Rouge has picked up some significant wins as of late, including a win over Dearborn.

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Conner Linsner
CONNER LISNER

Conner has been covering high school football and basketball recruiting for over five years. In college, he started his own blog covering high school recruiting. Right now, Conner is the Site Expert at All for Tennessee, covering Tennessee Volunteers athletics. He has also been covering college and professional sports on various FanSided sites since 2020. After graduating from Wayne State University in 2024, he decided that his passion for collegiate and professional athletics had driven him to pursue a career in sports media. Conner has been to over half of the Major League Baseball stadiums with his father and plans to hit every single ballpark in the majors. He began contributing to High School On SI in 2026.

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