Bulldogs Fall to Defending Champs at PSL Holiday Showcase

The Chelsea boys' basketball team gave the defending D1 state champion Detroit Cass Tech team all it could handle at the PSL Holiday Classic Wednesday night, but came up short in the final minute is a 58-51 loss.

The Bulldogs were hot from the outside in the opening quarter with four triples to jump out to an 18-14 lead after one quarter. 

Joey Cabana started quickly with a pair of triples in the first and his breakaway two hand dunk gave Chelsea the four point lead heading to the second.

The hot-shotting continued in the second an the Bulldogs pushed the lead to 21-14 early in the second, but Cass Tech went on a 13-0 run to take a 27-21 lead.

Cabana and Regan Plank hit back-to-back triples to tie the game at 27, but Cass hit s triple in the final minute for a 32-29 lead at the break.

The Cass Tech lead grew to seven 39-32 in the third, but Chelsea answered with a 10-2 run to retake the lead 42-41. Cass Tech answered in the final moments of the third to take a 43-42 lead into the fourth.

Cass Tech opened the fourth with a 10-2 for a 53-44 lead to force a Bulldogs timeout with just over four minutes remaining.

Chelsea trailed by eight 54-46 with 2:28 left, but had one more push left in them.

Jake Stephens hit an and-one and Cabana a baseline runner to cut the lead to 54-51 with 1:20 left.

Chelsea made a stop and had a chance to tie it up, but a shot was off and Cass Tech would go 4-4 from the line in the final minute to hold off the Bulldogs for the seven point win.

Cabana led the Bulldogs with 19 points, including three tiples on the night.

Stephens added 16 points and Drew Blanton 11. Regan Plank chipped in with three points and Hayden Long two. 

The Bulldogs return to the court when they take on Saginaw Heritage at the Motor City Roundball Classic in Ferndale Friday at 5:00 PM.