Posted Thursday, March 18, 2021

   Division 1 No. 4-ranked Detroit Martin Luther King Jr. held off a late rally to beat Detroit Henry Ford 50-43 in a Detroit Public School League boys basketball semifinal game at Cass Technical on Thursday, March 18.

   King will face Detroit Pershing in the championship game on Saturday, March 20, at Detroit Renaissance at 5 p.m.

   Pershing upset Division 4 No. 2-ranked Detroit Douglass Academy for Young Men 73-64 in the other semifinal.

   Two-time defending PSL champion Cass Tech was forced to forfeit participating in the tournament due to a COVID-19 quarantine.

   Senior Omar Zeigler had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) and senior point guard Chansey Willis scored 11 points to lead the Crusaders (14-2) over the Trojans (8-7).

   Shainen Carter had 10 points eight rebounds and four blocks. Davin Walker added nine points in the win.

  Ford led 10-5 early in the game, but King closed the first quarter with a 10-0 run to head to the second quarter with a 15-10 lead.

   King led 42-35 after three quarters, but Ford closed to within four at 42-38 with seven minutes left in the game. But the Trojans could get no closer.

   Senior Ahmad Ford finished with 16 points for Ford. Junior Kahlen Naope scored 11 points.

   In the other PSL semifinal, Squally Hill had 33 points and Brian Woodland added 14 points to lead Pershing over Douglass. Pierre Brooks II scored 22 points and Javantae Randle had 17 points for Douglass.

   Douglass lost to Detroit Cass Tech in last season’s PSL championship game.

   Pershing last won the PSL championship in 2014, beating Detroit Southeastern 57-56 in overtime. Pershing also won titles in 2013 and 2010. King last won the PSL championship in 2012, beating Pershing 76-69 in 2012.

   Detroit Cody will battle Detroit Cass Tech in the PSL girls championship game at 3 p.m. on Saturday.