Geibel grabs two victories in boy-girl tune-up doubleheader
CONNELLSVILLE – The boys and girls basketball teams from Geibel Catholic combined for a 45-point sweep in their rare double-header against different opponents Wednesday night, but girls coach George Bortz was far from satisfied. While the boys were taking care of business with a 94-50 Section 2-A win over West Greene, the girls limped home with a 44-43 win over Pittsburgh City League foe Langley.
Both games can be viewed as tune-ups, but they were tune-ups of a different kind. The girls tried to tune up for the WPIAL playoffs with an exhibition game against a Quad-A team. The boys were afforded a tune-up for Friday’s section showdown against California. The winner of that game will carry a section championship into the playoffs.
Coach Ken Misiak’s boys’ team placed six players in double figures, as his starters and reserves split time just about down the middle. Rob Ramsey led the way with 19 points, while Dale Speggen followed with 14, Jordan White, John Bokat and sub Zach Voithofer had 12 apiece and Travis Welc added 10.
“I told them that we want to be going up at the end of the season and I think we’re doing that,” Misiak said. “West Greene is a little bit down this year, but our kids didn’t let up, which a lot of teams do in games like this.
“Our kids came to play and now we’re looking forward to Friday night. We know that we’ll be playing for a championship. We put ourselves in this position. Our kids are ready. They are looking forward to it.”
It was obvious from the beginning that the (14-7, 10-1) Gators wanted a good game under their belts heading into Friday’s game. White (2) and Ramsey hit three three-pointers to break a 2-2 tie and send the Gators on their way. Geibel Catholic led, 32-13, after a quarter and never looked back. When West Greene (5-17, 2-9) cut the Gators’ lead to 38-21, Geibel Catholic reeled off nine straight points to make it 47-21.
“Our kids looked for the open man all night,” Misiak said. “And I think our pressure defense was too much for West Greene. Keith Ross is a good player, but our kids helped contain him with pressure. He never really got untracked.”
Ross, who is nearing the 1,000-point plateau, finished with six points. West Greene got 12 points off the bench from Jacob Kerch and 10 from Justin Allen.
Geibel Catholic led 52-29 at halftime and stretched it with a 24-14 edge in the third quarter. The third and fourth quarters were split between starters and reserves.
The girls’ game had the makings of a rout, but it never materialized. The Lady Gators needed an Emily Pennington free throw with one second remaining to pull out the win that improved their overall record to 14-8.
“Thank goodness she had two,” Bortz deadpanned when it was over. Indeed, Langley’s strange foul with a second remaining in a tie game was its 10th of the half and sent Pennington to the line for a pair.
She missed the fist, but nailed the second for the win.
Geibel Catholic had built a 42-31 lead with about three minutes to play, only to see Langley come charging back. Amber Smith, a promising freshman, led the charge by scoring Langley’s last 11 points. All the Lady Gators could manage over that stretch was a Julie Wisilosky free throw with 1:26 remaining to boost Geibel Catholic’s lead at the time to 43-39.
Smith scored consecutive baskets, the last with seven seconds remaining to tie the score, 43-43, leading to Pennington’s heroics.
“We didn’t play very good,” Bortz said. “I told them we’d be fine if we could match their intensity, but we didn’t do that. A lot of shots just didn’t fall for us, especially in the second half and we were a little short-handed tonight. Abbie Renze is down with the flu and we couldn’t move people in and out the way we like to.”
Wisilosky led the Lady Gators with 16 points, while Meghan Barry added 13. Wisilosky was a force under the basket and made the most of several lob passes to her under the basket. Smith led (3-16) Langley with 17 points.
“I thought Julie played very well,” Bortz said. “If anyone matched Langley’s intensity, it was her.”
The Lady Gators host California in their section and regular season finale tonight.