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Detroit King wins another league title in girls basketball, Tedford has 17 points to lead King over Mumford, 56-33
Detroit – No team has had a stranglehold on girls basketball in Detroit like William Winfield’s teams at Detroit King.
On Saturday the Lady Crusaders won their fifth consecutive Detroit Public School League title by defeating Detroit Mumford, 56-33, at Calihan Hall.
King (18-1), ranked No. 1 in Class A, led 22-11 at halftime then scored the first seven points of the second half to effectively put the game out of reach.
Tia Tedford led King with 17 points and Alicia Norman had 13. Although King doesn’t have a true post player 5-8 junior Jordan Lewis does much of the dirty work inside and she had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Mariah Mitchell also scored 10 points.
Donnetta Colbert was the lone player from Mumford (12-7) to score in double figures as she finished with 10 points and seven rebounds. Zamaria Polk, a 6-2 junior, had 11 rebounds.
Norman, a 5-3 point guard, has started all four years and she was honored with her fine play by being named Miss PSL after the game.
“It’s an honor,” Norman said. “It’s a great opportunity to play for coach Winfield.
“In the third quarter we started playing smarter. We started playing out game, and our game is we shoot the ball and play defense.”
King didn’t shoot well (16-of-49, 32.6 percent) but the Lady Crusaders did play well on the defensive end. They forced 28 turnovers and did not allow a field goal in the second quarter.
Mumford coach Kareem Hogan said his team got caught up in the pressure playing for a league title.
“It’s a big stage,” he said. “That took its toll on us. We missed a lot of layups. We missed a lot of free throws (10-26, 38.4 percent). It was 15-11 for a long time and we just never could get over the hump.
“But being here was huge. We’ll be back next year.”
This was the 27th season Winfield has coached a team to the PSL final and he was pleased with his team’s play, particularly in the second half.
“We’re the UConn of Detroit,” he said in reference to the domination UConn has shown at the collegiate level. “In the first half you worry about how the game will be called. We were conservative. At halftime I told them just to go out there and play.
“Lewis is our big money player. She had a double-double here last year. She’s 5-7 or 5-8 but she’s so strong inside.”
