These Greater Lansing girls basketball players were selected all-state in Division 2
Ashley Bower played an instrumental part in a strong four-year run for the Portland girls basketball program where she established herself as one of the top players in program history.
Ellie Toney made a similar impact at Corunna and bounced back from injury while finishing her career as the program’s all-time scoring leader.
Both standouts conclude their careers as Associated Press first team all-state players in Division 2.
Bower, who is headed to Wayne State, led the charge as Portland spent all season among the top-10 ranked teams in Division 2. She helped the Raiders to a 23-2 mark that included CAAC White, district and regional titles before falling to eventual champion Detroit Edison in the state quarterfinals.
Bower averaged 19.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.3 steals this winter while repeating as a first team all-state player. She led Portland in scoring all four years of her varsity career and was part of three district titles, two regional titles and a state championship. Bower owns school records for career points, career made 3-pointers and single-season made 3-pointers.
Division 3 all-state: See the Greater Lansing girls basketball players named Associated Press all-state
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Toney missed the opening four games of the season as she recovered from an ACL injury. She was cleared to return to basketball on Christmas Eve and was playing in a game five days later.
Toney shined in her return and averaged an area-best 23.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 17 games. The Davenport University signee shot 86.4% from the free-throw line and made 30 3-pointers.
The 5-foot-10 Toney finished her four-year varsity career with 1,361 points.
Detroit Edison’s Ruby Whitehorn, the state’s Miss Basketball winner, leads the Division 2 all-state squad as the player of the year.
Lansing Catholic’s Anna Richards, Ovid-Elsie’s Caitlyn Walter, Stockbridge’s Gwen Rogozinski, Corunna’s Sydnie Gillett, Eaton Rapids’ Adi Sysum and Alma’s Jordan Cleveland were honorable mention selections.
From February: How the Ovid-Elsie girls basketball team won its first conference title since 1984
Ovid-Else coach Ryan Cunningham, who guided the Marauders to their first league and district titles since 1984, earned honorable mention recognition.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Portland's Ashley Bower, Corunna's Ellie Toney named D-2 all-state
