In a battle of unbeaten state-ranked teams a slow start to the second half doomed the Chelsea girls’ basketball team in a 53-41 loss to Tecumseh Thursday night.
Both teams entered the game in the top five of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan rankings with the Bulldogs ranked fourth and Tecumseh second in the first poll released this week.
Tecumseh started quickly with a 10-2 run, but the Bulldogs would battle back and took its first lead of the game 14-12 with an Audrey McCarley triple with ten seconds left in the first.
Maggie McKale opened the second with a three-pointer to push the lead to 17-12 for what would be the Bulldogs biggest lead of the game at five points.
The Indians went on a 7-0 run to take a 19-17 lead and would never trail again.
The teams went back-and-forth, and the game was tied at 26 at the break.
Chelsea went cold to start second half going scoreless for the first 5:30 of the second and Tecumseh took control of the game with a 14-0 run for a 40-26 lead.
Avery Lay hit back-to-back baskets to stop the Indian run, but the Bulldogs trailed 44-32 after three.
The Bulldogs had one last run in them and got within six 46-40 with a Lay basket with 2:47 left but would score just one point the rest of the way as the Indians held on for the win.
Lay finished with a team high 19 points for the Bulldogs.
Aleeah Wells added nine points and McKale five.
McCarley and Braiden Scheffler scored three each and Addie Howard two.
The Bulldogs fell to 6-1 overall and will look to bounce back with games against Adrian and Pinckney this week.
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