Tecumseh girls basketball gives top-ranked Father Gabriel Richard a score in quarterfinal
YPSILANTI — Tecumseh trailed Division 2 top-ranked and unbeaten Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard by 11 at the half and by 13 with 7:06 left in the third.
Right when it seemed the Fighting Irish were on their way to another double-digit win to get to the Breslin Center, Tecumseh battled back.
Tecumseh scratched and clawed back into the quarterfinal game, tying it up, 34-34 going into the fourth and taking the lead a couple of times in the fourth before Gabriel Richard pulled out the 50-45 victory.
"They have fight, they've had fight all year," coach Kristy Zajac said. "I knew we were going to fight back one step at a time. They just got some buckets at the end and we couldn't get one to fall. I couldn't be more proud of their effort all four quarters."
Tecumseh (22-5) came out slow, trailing 13-6 after the first and 25-14 at the half. In the third however, Tecumseh put up 20 points to get back into the game.
Leading the way was junior Alli Zajac, who finished with a game-high 19 points to go with nine rebounds and two assists.
"She did a great job and knocked down some big shots when we were struggling," coach Zajac said. "We moved her to the point because we knew they couldn't handle her on the outside. She did a great job stepping up when we needed her."
Fellow junior Ashlyn Moorehead also stepped up with 10 points, six rebounds and two assists.
Tecumseh needed the duo with sophomore Makalya Schlorf in foul trouble and held scoreless in the first half after averaging 16 points per game in the postseason, including a 25-point effort in the regional final against Lansing Catholic.
"Our team doesn't give up," Moorehead said. "We just had to push forward. I knew I needed to step up when Makayla went out because she's been leading us."
The two teams went back-and-forth in the fourth. Moorehead gave Tecumseh its first lead of the game on a drive to the basket to make it 41-39 with 5:22 to go.
After the Fighting Irish tied it back up, 41-41, Addi Zajac, who had eight points, three rebounds, an assist and a block, backed down a defender into the paint and scored to go up 43-41 with 3:15 left, but Gabriel Richard responded with a 3-pointer. Schlorf managed to put up six points, her final two coming with a drive to go up 45-44 with 2:15 to go.
It would be the final bucket of the season for Tecumseh as the Fighting Irish went up with a basket and a pair of free throws to go up 48-45. Schlorf had a 3-point attempt hit off the back of the iron and then Alli Zajac had a 3-point attempt block to seal the game.
"We played them better than anyone has played them all season," coach Zajac said. "I thought that was a great accomplishment, even though we didn't win, to keep their heads up."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Tecumseh girls basketball falls in MHSAA Division 2 quarterfinal
