Solid start for Indians

By MICKEY ALVARADO

An opening season win at home has Tecumseh’s varsity boys basketball team looking at not only improving on their one win season from last year, but actually being a force to be reckoned with this winter.

Tecumseh started its season with a solid 49-32 victory over visiting Milan on Friday, Dec. 11, and followed with a 48-41 win over visiting Ida on Monday evening.

The Indians looked a little timid in the first quarter of their opening game against the Big Reds but increased their confidence as the game progressed. Milan jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Jacob Moore and Jacob Bloom each tagged the net to tie the contest. Milan gained a two-point lead with 2:48 left in the quarter but Bloom again tied the contest with another bucket from inside the paint. Milan closed the quarter with a two-point 8-6 lead but a three-point shot by Moore in the second quarter put the Indians up for good.

“In the first quarter we were a little shaky on our offense but once we settled down and started running our sets we started putting points on the board,” said Tecumseh coach Brandon Schmidt.

Tecumseh finished the second quarter with a 17-13 advantage and increased its lead after both the third and fourth quarters.

“We feel great at 1-0,” said Schmidt. “We know there’s going to be bumps in the road and we have got to improve on some things but the first step is a big one and we took a good one tonight.”

Justin Coffin scored 10 points for Tecumseh but helped in many others as the starting point guard. While he was busy dishing out passes, Bloom and Moore viciously attacked the net. Bloom was the Indians’ leading offensive scorer with 15 points while Moore finished with 11.

“The first game is always nerve racking when you see the home crowd,” said Bloom after the game. “The nerves set in but once we started playing it just went away and the adrenalin set in.”

Milan hit the first netter of the second half but Bloom tagged two in a row to put Tecumseh up 25-15.

After another Milan basket, Tecumseh’s Stephen Bilotta hit a two-pointer from the inside while Kyle Hooper burned the net with a three-pointer that pushed the Indians’ lead to 30-17. The quarter closed with Tecumseh ahead 33-18.

A three-pointer by the Big Reds cut Tecumseh’s lead to 12 points (33-21) to open the fourth quarter but approximately three minutes later the Indians made it a 42-24 game. The Indians slowed their roll in the waning minutes and allowed several secondary players in to finish out the game.

“We didn’t know anything about Milan,” said Schmidt. “They had a first year coach and it was his first game so we didn’t have a chance to scout them. We just wanted to concentrate on doing what we do - playing defense and executing offense.”

Tecumseh’s Coffin also added four assists while Hooper chipped in nine points and five rebounds. Bilotta had five rebounds and two points.

Tecumseh’s Student Athlete Advisory Council held a Hoops for Hunger event during the afternoon where the Indians raised $667 in cash and hundreds of donated food items. All proceeds were raised to benefit the Tecumseh food pantry.

On Monday night, Tecumseh pulled off a 48-41 victory over visiting Ida to improve to 2-0 before the holiday break.

Tecumseh held a 14-10 lead after the opening quarter. Coffin scored six points in the quarter while Bloom and Coffin each had four to give the Indians the opening quarter advantage.

The Indians outscored Ida 9-8 in the second quarter to go into halftime with a 23-18 lead. Moore led the Indians in the quarter with a pair of baskets for five points.

In the final quarter, the Indians allowed the Bluestreaks to outscore them 17-10 but had more than enough points to record the win.

Moore led all scoring with 18 points while Coffin added 15 points, two assists and four steals. Bloom was limited to six points and two assists. Mike Evans finished with five rebounds.