• Haslett head coach Bob Currier and his girls

EAST LANSING, MICH. - In the semis, everything went Haslett's way. A night later against Detroit Country Day, the Breslin Center transformed into a twilight zone for the Vikings.

Shots stopped falling, frustration overwhelmed and turnovers coincided, as Haslett fell, 49-41, to the new Michigan Class B state champion, Detroit Country Day.

What changed for Haslett Saturday night?

Fatigue looked to be a major factor in altering the team's field goal percentage down to 32.4%.

Haslett's starters received little to no rest during games throughout much of the season, and until the state finals, it never really seemed to be a problem. A constricted playoff schedule dealt the Vikings an imposing hand.

"I definitely think that fatigue has a big deal with it, playing two games back-to-back in the state tournament," Senior captain Makenna Ott said after the game. "Nothing is easy here. Everything is hard."

Three of Haslett's starters played all 32 minutes of Saturday night's finals. The other two sat for three minutes apiece.

Others, though, weren't so sure fatigue was to blame. Detroit Country Day did boast one of the top defenses in the state.

"Honestly, their defense got out on us a lot," fellow senior captain Adrianna Stolicker said. "They are tough. They have quick hands, quick feet. "

"There is always one girl coming at you, so that kind of plays into your shot."

"You're going to see that person coming at you, and you are going to get a little nervous. But I just think we were a little frantic tonight, and they just weren't falling."

Haslett head coach Bob Currier saw the game in a similar fashion and denied fatigue as any factor.

"I credit their defense for taking us out of the kind of rhythms we like to be in," Currier said. "Who knows what it is for sure, but that certainly played a big part."

Like Currier said, who knows? The speculation can be tedious and fruitless, as all of Haslett knows one thing for sure.

The 2014-2015 Haslett Girls Basketball team is the first in school history to make the state finals.

The girls played all season with an effortless pride and team chemistry. As heart-breaking as it was to see the tears on their faces, a booming student section, along with some mighty proud parents and siblings, kept on cheering for the team that could never let them down, the one all of Haslett will never forget.

As for Detroit Country Day and legendary head coach Frank Orlando, no, winning never gets old. With the girls' victory over Haslett, Orlando has 11 state titles under his belt, but he enjoys this one just as much as the last.

"It's different girls," Orlando said with a beaming smile. "That's their first time."

It's that simple for Orlando. He takes resounding joy in the glimmering faces of yet another group of young ladies, young champions.