Unforgettable season for Tecumseh girls basketball

It would be easy to give in to the urge to look forward.

Tecumseh returns every starter next season and its promising future can alleviate the pain of its loss in Tuesday’s Division 2 state quarterfinal.

But the future holds no guarantees and Tecumseh’s remarkable 2023-24 season deserves reflection.

The team clinched its first regional title since 1975, won back-to-back district titles for the first time in 33 years, secured a share of a conference title for the first time in 20 years and junior Alli Zajac became the team’s all-time career scoring leader.

Reflect on that.

“We had a great season, one to remember,” Tecumseh coach Kristy Zajac said. “Just super proud of them. I said, ‘Look at how many people we had here in the stands, cheering for them, rooting for them.’”

Even in the best of seasons a team can fall flat on its face in its final game but Tecumseh did not suffer that fate.

The squad nearly completed a 13-point comeback in a 50-45 state-quarterfinal loss to Father Gabriel Richard on Tuesday at Ypsilanti Lincoln High School.

Father Gabriel Richard’s five-point margin of victory was the smallest in its 27-0 season. 

Tecumseh (22-5) recovered after shooting 27.3% in the first half against a suffocating defense by making 52% of its shots in the final two quarters.

After FGR increased its lead to 29-16 early in the second half, Zajac knocked down a deep 3 off the backboard to spark the rally.

Zajac gave a sigh of relief at midcourt after her momentum-changing shot, as she was 0 of 5 from beyond the arc in her six-point first half.

The junior forward went 3 of 5 from 3-point range in the second half and finished with a game-high in points (19) and rebounds (9).

Alli made the score 34-34 at the end of the third quarter with a drive for a layup. It was the first time the game was tied since early in the opening quarter when it was 4-4.

“I knew we were going to fight back and battle back,” coach Zajac said. “They busted their butts.”

Tecumseh’s ability to break down defenders one-on-one was one of the main reasons it erased its deficit.

Junior Ashlyn Moorehead had a sick spin move around a defender before converting a layup while being fouled in the third quarter and did not stop there, as she finished second on her team in points with 10 on 5-of-10 shooting and six rebounds.

“She stepped up great tonight,” coach Zajac said. “She was able to attack, get to the line, made some really tough shots and tough moves and got some kids in foul trouble.”

Moorehead had another drive for a layup to give her team its first lead of the game at 41-39 with 5 minutes, 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. 

There were four lead changes in the final 5 minutes — the last of which was when FGR made a two-pointer to go ahead 46-45 with about 2 minutes remaining.

Alli was the only Tecumseh player who made a 3 in the game, so she was an obvious option when her team was down 48-45 with 11.1 seconds left. 

She received an inbounds pass while being double-teamed and used a ball screen before launching a 3. But her shot was blocked by a third defender, Cora Williams, and Tecumseh’s eye-opening tournament run ended a few seconds later.

“I’m just emotional because I’m going to be a senior next year and we had an amazing season,” Alli said. “There’s much to be proud of. I love my team so much.”