Chelsea, MI.- The Chelsea Bulldogs hosted the Ida Bluestreaks in a class B district final Friday night hoping to end Ida’s district championship streak at 2 but it was not to be as Ida’s Alex Elliott hit 2 free throws on a one on one with 4.8 seconds left in the game. The Bluestreaks took their third district title in a row with the 41-39 victory.
Chelsea started the game fast as Junior guard Abby Fullerton hit a deep 3 from the left side to give the Bulldogs the early lead. Ida battled back though and got some 3 point shots of their own and took advantage of several Chelsea turnovers to take a 19-16 lead into the half.
After the half Chelsea Head Coach Todd Blomquist had his girls fired up and determined as they played much more physical on the ball including Junior guard Brianna Hay who took advantage of several Ida miscues and stole the ball from Elliott at one point and went coast to coast like buttered toast out running the Ida defender and getting the layup basket to cut the Ida lead.
Chelsea closed the gap to two points but Ida surged in the final period to put Chelsea down by 7 at one point but the Bulldogs remained tough especially underneath where Junior Maddie Vasquez used her height and skill to pull down rebound after rebound and was able to outjump her defenders for the underneath shots.
Down by 2 and with 33 seconds to go in the game and playing with 4 fouls Vasquez was able to grab an offensive rebound and work outside then inside to draw off her defenders and hit the huge shot underneath to the shouts and screams of the loyal Bulldogs in attendance as she tied the game up at 39. But then something strange happened as Vasquez headed upcourt and the ball to be taken out of bounds by Ida, Ida’s Elliott fell untouched to the floor underneath the hoop where the ball was caught after it went through the basket. The referees did not see what happened, but after they conferred they called a foul on Vasquez, the player closest to Elliott. That gave Vasquez her fifth foul and took away Chelsea’s biggest presence on the court as well as their top scorer on the night and top rebounder.
With 4.8 seconds left a foul was called on the Bulldogs which led to the winning free throws. Chelsea was unable to get a basket off with little time left on the clock with their final possession. The Bulldogs finish the season 17-5 while Ida will play New Boston Huron on Tuesday. The two loss Chiefs needed double overtime to eliminate Grosse Isle.
Vasquez led the Bulldogs with 16 points and 10 rebounds while Riley Davis finished with nine, Fullerton five and 4 rebounds, and Hay had four points to go with her 4 steals.
