Chelsea's boys' basketball team defeated host Adrian 61-33 last Friday. With their victory, the Bulldogs improved their overall record to 9-0 and 4-0 in the Southeastern Conference.
"I thought we played one of our most consistent games of the season in all four quarters," said Chelsea coach Robin Raymond. "Adrian is a tough place to play. Offensively, we were very consistent. We had balanced scoring for the whole game."
Chelsea, ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press Class B poll and No. 10 in the Detroit News' Super 10 rankings, which includes all classes throughout the state, led 14-13 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs clamped down defensively shutting out the Maples 13-0 taking a 27-13 lead into the break. It was the second time this season Chelsea didn't allow a point in a quarter.
"We denied (Adrian center Brad) Ohrman (6-foot-4, 225) the ball," Raymond said of the key to shutting down the Maples in the second quarter. "He had 10 points in the first quarter. We forced them to shoot from the outside. We had a hand in their face. We put a lot of pressure on their guards. It's tough to shoot under pressure. They were 0-for-9 from the floor and had six turnovers. That takes the air out of their balloon. We had a lot of confidence going into halftime."
Entering the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs increased their advantage to 43-24.
"At the half, we talked about keeping the pressure on and not giving them any early looks at the basket," Raymond said. "I thought if we won the third quarter, the game would be well in hand."
In the fourth frame, Chelsea outscored Adrian 18-9 for the night's final margin.
Senior forward Micah Hudson (6-foot-2) led the Bulldogs with 16 points, including two three-pointers, four rebounds and five assists.
Junior forward Greg Rebudela (6-3) added a season high 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots, while senior guard Nate Schwarze had 10 points, including two triples and six assists.
"Greg (Rebudela) had a good, all around game," Raymond said. "He was a spark off the bench for us. Each game it seems like we have different kids give us a spark. It's tough for teams to concentrate on just one or two players."
Junior guard Matt Schwarze had six points, while junior forward Stu Mann and junior center Dean Roberts (6-3) each netted four points. Roberts also hauled down five boards.
Senior forward Mike Sauers and senior guard Adam Connell each chipped in three points, while senior forward Benny Johnson had two points for Chelsea.
The Bulldogs were sharp from the outside, finishing 25-of-49 from the floor for 51 percent. Chelsea made a season-high-tying nine three-pointers during the game. Adrian ended up 13-of-21 from the field for a paltry 29 percent.
At the free throw line, the Bulldogs were 2-of-2 for 100 percent. The Maples were 5-of-9 for 33 percent.
On the glass, Chelsea out-rebounded Adrian 30-23.
The Bulldog pressure defense forced 18 Maple turnovers.
Despite having a big lead late in the game, Raymond said he was pleased to see his squad continue to play hard.
"It was nice to see us keep our intensity up," he said. "We try to control the momentum of the game 75 percent of the time. Then the other team has to chase us."
Raymond said an important factor in his team's success this season has been their effort in practice.
"We work hard," he said. "We've been pretty focused. Our goal is to get better in practice. We're getting excellent play off our bench. We're not seeing a drop in the intensity. We have a lot of balance.
"In our system, every player needs to know every position."
With no player taller than 6-3 in the rotation, a concern prior to the start of the season was rebounding. Raymond said rebounding has not been an issue so far this year.
"We're holding our own on the boards," he said. "We're good going to the basket. We're aggressive on the inside and that makes up for a lack of height. Rebounding is all a mental state. If you see the ball, you need to go get it."
Chelsea next hosts Southeastern Conference White Division foe Tecumseh Friday at 7 p.m.
On Tuesday, the Bulldogs travel to Ypsilanti Lincoln for a SEC White Division contest at 7 p.m.
On Feb. 2, Chelsea hosts county and league rival Dexter at 7 p.m.
Sports Editor Don Richter can be reached at 475-1371 or at drichter@heritage.com.
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