The Zephyrhills Lady Bulldogs Basketball team brought home some championship hardware over the holiday break by winning the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Basketball Tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs went through the tournament with three straight wins. In the opening round Dec. 27, Zephyrhills took down the Eastside Rams in an intense overtime battle, 40-37.
Jade King, who earned tournament MVP honors, led the Bulldogs with a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Naljah Gildon added nine points, and four steals and Allison McCullough dropped four points and dished out 10 assists. Freshman Kyndall McMillian made a clutch play, scoring off an assist from McCullough with just three seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
In the Saturday, Dec. 28 matchup with Melbourne, Zephyrhills battled again taking a 39-14 win. King led the way with 14 points, five rebounds Before the game, the Melbourne Lady Bulldogs’ head coach expressed condolences on the loss of Coach Chris Smith, who died suddenly last season. The coach noted that their team had also experienced the pain of losing their head coach earlier in the season. After the game, both teams united in an emotional tribute to their late coaches. Players and coaches from both sides embraced, and the deceased Melbourne coach’s daughter shared heartfelt moments with the Zephyrhills players. The camaraderie displayed was a powerful reminder that sports are more than just the game — it’s about the shared connections and support.
In the championship game Monday, Dec. 30, Zephyrhills dominated the Ridge Community Bolts of Davenport 52-23. King continued to lead the team with outstanding play with 10 points. McCullough led all scorers with 13 points and seven assists. Tim’mia Clemmons dropped 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds.