The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
HAPPY ENDING
Milan falls to Chelsea 63-36...
PUBLISHED: March 8, 2007
Coming into their District 37 first-round game against 19-1 and No. 3 Chelsea, the Milan boys' basketball team knew it would have to play an almost perfect game to win.
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The Big Reds gave a full effort, but it wasn't perfect and Milan was bounced from the playoffs Monday night, falling to Chelsea 63-36.
"We played a tough team," head coach Jeremy Davies said afterward. "They applied a lot of defensive pressure, the kind we're not used to seeing. We let them dictate the flow of the game. We could never get into any kind of rhythm offensively."
The Bulldogs controlled the game from the opening tip, racing out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter. By the end of the period the Chelsea lead was 16-4.
Milan improved offensively in the second quarter, with Randy Monty scoring four points and Zack McGovern hitting a three-pointer. But things didn't get any better on the defensive end for the Big Reds as Chelsea scored 17 more points and led by 19 at halftime, 33-14.
In the third quarter, the Big Reds tallied 11 with Paul Irwin connecting for four points while Justin Fugate had three.
Milan finally equaled Chelsea's output in the fourth quarter as both teams scored 11 points in the period, but the game was well in hand for the Bulldogs and they prepared for a second round match-up Wednesday evening.
Davies said his team had plenty of confidence entering the game, but was caught off guard by the intensity of the Chelsea defense.
"We really felt like we had a good game plan coming in," Davies said. "We just froze a little. Our guys continued to battle. They gave it their all. But we knew we would have to play very well, and that didn't happen."
Fugate finished with a team-high seven points and added six rebounds. Monty scored six points and had two steals. Zack McGovern and Milton Page each had five points, followed by Irwin with four, Erik Gunderson with three and Erik Draves, Brandon Duval and Cameron Hynds with two points each. Hynds also led the Big Reds in rebounding with eight boards.
Despite the loss, the Big Reds ended their season with a 12-9 overall record, the program's first winning season in a number of years.
Afterward, Davies paid tribute to his team's accomplishments and the leadership of the team's five seniors.
"This was the group that puts us back on the map," Davies said. "I told the seniors, their legacy is that mark that they've set for the future. They led the team in a positive manner and showed a willingness to persevere … We were 4-1 and had a lot of expectations, then lost five in a row and it would have been real easy to put in the tank. We didn't."
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