East Lansing, MI – They never trailed Saturday night. The Tecumseh Indians girls basketball team captured the program’s second-ever state championship, joining the 1974 team in the history books. The Tribe defeated Grand Rapids West Catholic at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center in the Division 2 title game 54-44 Saturday night.
Tecumseh’s Makayla Schlorf got things going early, netting 11 points in the frame and going 2-3 from beyond the arc. The Indians built a 21-9 lead in the opening frame, getting scoring contributions from Alli Zajac (4), Chloe Bullinger (3), and Ashlyn Moorehead (3).
GR West Catholic found their groove in the second quarter, bring the score to 32 at the halftime break. Moorehead had 4 points in the frame to lead the Indians. Allie Zajac added 2 points to her total. Sister Addi Zajac found herself in the scoring collum in the second quarter, netting 5 points.
The third quarter was low scoring on both sides, with the Falcons outscoring the Indians 11-7. Alli Zajac had 4 points in the third quarter. Bullinger scored 2 points, and Moorehead netted 1.
Tecumseh’s defense closed the game out in the fourth quarter, as the Indians outscored GR West Catholic 15-6. Bullinger scored 6 points in the final quarter, Allie Zajac added 4 more in the stanza, Addi Zajac chipped-in 4, and Moorehead scored one more. Anna Ignatoski led Grand Rapids West Catholic with 12 points. Elisha Dykstra had 10.
Alli Zajac ended with a team-high 14 points and 5 rebounds. Makayla Schlorf and Chloe Bullinger end finished with 11 points (Schlorf had 8 rebounds, Bullinger with 4). Ashlyn Moorehead and Addi Zajac ended with 9 points apiece (Zajac with 12 rebounds, Moorehead with 3).
Tecumseh ended the game shooting 34.0% from the floor, 40% from three (4-10), and 16-21 at the free throw line. The Falcons shot 30.2% from the floor, 9.5% from three (2-21), and 10-13 from the free throw line.
The 2024-25 season was the third all-time trip to the state championship game, joining the 1974 and 1975 teams. The ’74 team, led by Diane Nelson, defeated Harper Woods Regina 57-29. Their bid for back-to-back titles came up just short in 1975 against Warren Woods, 46-43.