Player Impressions Playoff Version - Tecumseh V. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard
Last night was the night many of us had been waiting for - Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard taking on Tecumseh. There was talk even before the season began that these 2 teams would meet as Division 2 favorites. The game last night didn't disappoint. It was the loudest gym I've been in this season and it wasn't even close. A true championship atmosphere. These were 2 incredibly talented teams battling for a spot in the quarterfinals. Gabriel Richard hit some big shots in the first half and took a 30-26 lead into the locker room after the 2nd. But the combination of an elite crew of guards and a seasoned veteran forward pushed Tecumseh on a 13-3 run in the 3rd quarter., giving them a 30-33 lead. They made big plays and key free throws throughout the final quarter, earning a 50-39 win in the game of the year and winning a regional championship.
There was elite talent, even generational type talent, on both teams last night. We're going to take a look at some of the players that left an impression with the way that they played.
Alli Zajac (2025, F, Tecumseh)
Remember that generational talent comment above? Yeah, I think Alli Zajac is in that category. Just like people familiar with Tecumseh basketball still talk about Andy Poppink on the boys side, 30 plus years later they'll bring up Alli Zajac on the girls side. Simply her presence on the floor made a difference last night. Zajac is the type of leader that every title team needs. She seemed to grab every big rebound and had her nose in every key play. Zajac buried a corner triple and added another 3 that she drilled with a hand in her face. She showed her athleticism when she cut to the rim, caught a feed in stride, and converted with a bucket. Zajac showed touch on a baseline head fake and take with a floater finish.
Charlotte Miller (2025, G, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard)
And here we are again with that generational talent subject. Charlotte Miller is just that. Her name should be in the Ann Arbor girls basketball legends talk with names like Tabitha Pool. I'm not going to rehash the numbers and awards, but I challenge you to find a more impressive 4 year high school basketball career than what Miller has had. She showed the diversity in her game when she hit a cutter across the lane for an assist and then used a head fake behind the 3 point line to create space to step in and take and make the mid range jumper. Speaking of that head fake, Miller might have had the best and most effective one that I've seen this season.
Makayla Schlorf (2026, G, Tecumseh)
Schlorf made big plays at big times for Tecumseh. She had a sneaky layup off an inbound in the first half and really looked aggressive with the ball last night. Schlorf came up big late in the game with the way she handled the ball, passed and stayed poised when it was in her hands. She knocked critical free throws at an eye popping percentage. Schlorf was just unfazed at the line.
Vanessa Rodriguez (2026, G, Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard)
Rodriguez is such a talented and skilled guard that isn't afraid of the big moment. She started the game off with 2 big steals that set the tone early. Rodriguez is excellent in changing speeds when the ball is in her hands and used it to attack and create space. She had a pull up triple that looked very smooth and balanced. Rodriguez played a bulk of the minutes and had only 1 turnover in the game.
Chloe Bullinger (2026, G, Tecumseh)
It feels like I could copy and paste what I said about Makayla Schlorf above and put it here. But that's a great thing. The junior guard came up huge in huge moments. She was so smart with the ball, which really stood out late in the game when they were facing a ton of pressure. Bullinger was clutch at the free throw line, going 6-8 from the stripe, hitting 4 of them late when the game was on the line.
Addi Zajac (2027, F/C, Tecumseh)
Zajac is just such a tough matchup. She's a points and rebounds double-double threat every time on the court. And she was again last night finishing with 11 points and 8 rebounds, both team highs. Zajac does such a great job doing the work early to earn position under the rim. She's a force on the offensive glass. I've written "Zajac-putback" in my notes so many times this season that I'm dizzy.