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EAST LANSING —Tecumseh watched a massive lead slowly dwindle throughout the Michigan high school Division 2 girls basketball state championship, but never fell behind.
Tecumseh built a 14-point lead in the first five minutes of the game and rode that lead until the end — despite a ferocious comeback from Grand Rapids West Catholic — to a 54-44 victory to take the state championship.
The lead got as low as one point entering the fourth quarter, but clutch baskets from Addi Zajac (nine points, 12 rebounds), Chloe Bullinger (11 points) and free throws from Miss Basketball finalist Alli Zajac (14 points) closed out the Indians’ first state championship since 1974.
Tecumseh jumped out to a 14-point lead in the first six minutes after Makayla Schlorf got hot out of the gate. Tecumseh started the game with an 8-0 run including 3-pointers from Ashlyn Moorehead and Schlorf.
Schlorf then answered four straight West Catholic points with another triple, and then converted an and-1 two possessions later during a 10-0 run to build the double-digit lead. Schlorf had 11 first-quarter points.
West Catholic started whittling away in the second. After trading baskets early, the Falcons ended the first half on a 12-3 run and cut Tecumseh’s lead to 32-27 entering halftime.
Tecumseh’s lead kept shrinking in the third quarter. Anna Ignatoski and Alexis Asekomeh (nine points, six rebounds) combined for seven of West Catholic’s 11 third-quarter points, while holding Tecumseh to seven total and cut the lead to a single point entering the fourth quarter.
But the lead change never came.
Tecumseh kept West Catholic at arms length down the stretch, finding an answer for every Falcons basket and surge.
Down the stretch, Tecumseh’s Chloe Bullinger answered an Elisha Dykstra for West Catholic and Addi Zajac followed an Asekomeh layup with another one of her own to keep the lead at five. Tecumseh played keep away with two minutes left, and then hit free throws down the stretch.
Ignatoski led West Catholic with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Dykstra finished with 10 points.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school girls basketball playoffs: Tecumseh wins D-2
Continue reading...
Tecumseh built a 14-point lead in the first five minutes of the game and rode that lead until the end — despite a ferocious comeback from Grand Rapids West Catholic — to a 54-44 victory to take the state championship.
The lead got as low as one point entering the fourth quarter, but clutch baskets from Addi Zajac (nine points, 12 rebounds), Chloe Bullinger (11 points) and free throws from Miss Basketball finalist Alli Zajac (14 points) closed out the Indians’ first state championship since 1974.
Tecumseh jumped out to a 14-point lead in the first six minutes after Makayla Schlorf got hot out of the gate. Tecumseh started the game with an 8-0 run including 3-pointers from Ashlyn Moorehead and Schlorf.
Schlorf then answered four straight West Catholic points with another triple, and then converted an and-1 two possessions later during a 10-0 run to build the double-digit lead. Schlorf had 11 first-quarter points.
West Catholic started whittling away in the second. After trading baskets early, the Falcons ended the first half on a 12-3 run and cut Tecumseh’s lead to 32-27 entering halftime.
Tecumseh’s lead kept shrinking in the third quarter. Anna Ignatoski and Alexis Asekomeh (nine points, six rebounds) combined for seven of West Catholic’s 11 third-quarter points, while holding Tecumseh to seven total and cut the lead to a single point entering the fourth quarter.
But the lead change never came.
Tecumseh kept West Catholic at arms length down the stretch, finding an answer for every Falcons basket and surge.
Down the stretch, Tecumseh’s Chloe Bullinger answered an Elisha Dykstra for West Catholic and Addi Zajac followed an Asekomeh layup with another one of her own to keep the lead at five. Tecumseh played keep away with two minutes left, and then hit free throws down the stretch.
Ignatoski led West Catholic with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Dykstra finished with 10 points.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected]; Follow Jared on X or Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan high school girls basketball playoffs: Tecumseh wins D-2
Continue reading...
