Ida avenges loss to Airport in District finals

DUNDEE – Jessica Schrader looked exhausted.

But there was no way Ida girls basketball coach Tim Leonard was going to take her out in the final minutes of a District championship game.

Playing herself to near exhaustion is nothing new for Schrader.

“She plays 100 percent all the time,” Leonard said. “We have to try to get her a break when we can.”

Schrader actually shoots for higher than that.

“I try to give 110 percent all the time,” she said. “If I don’t, I consider it a failure.”

Saturday certainly was not a failure for Schrader.

The junior scored 20 points, including a key basket and two clutch free throws in the final minute, as Ida avenged an earlier loss to Airport with a 48-42 win in the finals of the Division 2 District at Dundee.

Schrader was 8-of-14 from the line in the game.

Photo Gallery: Ida vs. Airport in finals of Division 2 District at Dundee

“She’s one of our best free-throw shooters,” Leonard said. “She was in a little bit of a slump earlier this year, so her grandmother got after her. She went on a streak of 26-of-28.”

But those shots could not match the pressure of the final minute of a District title game.

“I definitely felt the pressure,” she admitted. “I knew I had to make them for my team.”

Airport led for most of the first half, but Ida surged in front by controlling the third period 14-6, then ran an effective delay game in the final stanza.

“I am very happy we got the win,” Schrader said. “This was very high pressure. We’ve been working really hard lately.”

It was the first District title in three years for the Blue Streaks (15-9).

“This is nice for the girls after all my pounding on what to do into them,” Leonard said. “They see it does pay off.”

Reese Hennessey added 13 points for Ida, which advances to the Regional at Fowlerville. The Blue Streaks will play 24-1 Chelsea at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Airport coach Darrell Mossburg thought his team let one slip away.

“When your shots don’t fall, the girls learn to control the game with their defense,” he said.

The Jets have time to learn lessons like that. They went 13-11 with a District roster that included no seniors and 10 freshmen.

“We were relying on two freshmen as our quarterbacks,” Mossburg said. “They did a fabulous job.”

Olivia Gratz scored 14 points and Peyton Zajac 10 to lead Airport on Saturday. Both are freshmen.

IDA: Liechty 2 1-2 5, Hennessey 4 5-12 13, Allen 1 0-1 2, Schrader 5 (2) 8-14 20, Albring 1 0-0 2, LaRoy 1 4-4 6. Totals 14 (2) 18-33 48

AIRPORT: Gratz 5 4-8 14, B. Baker 3 2-2 8, J. Baker 2 (1) 2-5 7, Zajac 4 (2) 0-0 10, Drummond 1 0-0 2, Lemke 0 1-4 1. Totals 15 (3) 9-19 42.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Ida avenges loss to Airport in District championship game