Chelsea girls basketball dominates Williamston

CHELSEA, Mich. — The Chelsea Bulldogs (8-1) dominated the Williamston Hornets (5-4) with a 63-33 win on Saturday night. 

The Bulldogs, led by senior Megan McCalla, spent the second half imposing their will on the Hornet's offense, playing full-court defense and launching a barrage of 3-pointers to continue their hot streak, winning eight of their last nine games.

McCalla finished the game with 26 points, and Williamston junior Reese Gaytan led her team with eight points.

Here are the three takeaways

Leila Wells dominated through facilitation

The Bulldogs were able to secure tonight’s victory thanks to juniot Leila Wells and McCalla.

The first half of this matchup was deadlocked, and neither team could secure enough offense to maintain a comfortable lead.

Wells orchestrated the Chelsea offense, remaining at the forefront of every offensive possession. During the first quarter, Wells was responsible for every Chelsea point, either scoring or assisting during each of its scoring possessions.

Her leadership shined in the second half as she finished as the game’s second-highest leading scorer with 17 points, seemingly played every minute, and maintained a full-court press on every possession.

In addition to being one of the game’s highest scorers, Wells finished with three assists, two steals, two blocks and three rebounds.

McCalla dominated through scoring

Opposite the magnificent facilitation of Wells was the scoring onslaught produced by McCalla, who found a way to put the game away in its closing moments.

Chelsea entered the fourth quarter with a slim 28-23 lead. However, McCalla put together a hot streak for the ages, scoring 24 points in the second half, 17 of which came in the fourth.

During this brilliant offensive display, the Hornets' defense was often too slow to close out or too out of position to stop the senior from scoring at will. Combined with the facilitation of Wells, the Bulldogs outscored the Hornets 35-8 in the fourth quarter, ending the once-close game in a lopsided victory for the Bulldogs.

Williamston lacked the depth to keep up

The game was a hard-fought battle until depth became an issue for The Hornets. While Hornets players Gayton and senior Meah Palmatier played well, respectively, scoring eight and six points. Williamston could not keep up with the pace and roster of the Bulldogs.

During the first three quarters, while fatigue was yet to become an issue, The Hornets’ were able to match The Bulldogs stride-for-stride. However, on paper, Chelsea ran an 11-man lineup, much deeper than the 7-player lineup of The Hornets.

While those JV players managed to secure a few late-bucket points, it was clear that depth was a determining outcome for tonight’s matchup.

Coach said

Following tonight’s victory, the Bulldogs’ head coach Tony Scheffler commended his team for their second half performance.

“We’re going to get everybody’s best. That’s a privilege, and something we’ve earned,” Scheffler said. “It took the middle of the third until we cracked the code, and once we figured it out, then things opened up. When your best players share the ball and move the ball, as a coach, that’s everything.”

Scheffler highlighted his upperclassmen for their veteran leadership, crediting their play for tonight’s victory.

“[McCalla] just really got going. She got in a rhythm, and hit some big three-pointers. [Wells] is just a phenomenal point guard. We’re lucky to have one of the best point guards in the state and she really showed out tonight. She moved the ball well, and played full-court defense. We vibe off her energy,” Scheffler said.

Regarding the team’s performance, Scheffler praised his team’s defensive effort tonight, holding the Hornets to less than 40 points, the fourth time they’ve done so this season.

“We build everything on our defense. We take pride in it, and that’s the first thing we talk about,” Scheffler said. “I think we did a good job on Reese (Gaytan) and Claire (Casey), two good players. We did a good job, especially when our point guard is in full-court, taking away their best player, night in and night out. It gives us energy.”

Following this matchup, the Chelsea Bulldogs (8-1) will remain home to take on The Pinckney Pirates (4-5). And the Williamston Hornets (5-4) will travel to Grand Ledge to take on the Grand Ledge Comets Comets (2-6).