Despite lack of intensity, Geibel downs California
CALIFORNIA – The Geibel Catholic Lady Gators basketball team hopefully learned a hard lesson Thursday night in a 40-32 win over California – you’ve got to be mentally ready to play every night. The coaches sensed what was going on. The players began to realize it as the game went on. The fans got a sense of it in the second quarter.
The favored Lady Gators (7-5, 5-2) did not have their game, and California had a prime opportunity to pick up their second Section 2-A win of the season.
“The game was there for the taking, but we got into foul trouble in the second half, and we didn’t finish,” California coach Cindy Dunlevy said. “I’m proud of the way my girls played. It was their best team effort of the season.”
The Lady Trojans (3-11, 1-6) had the cold-shooting Gators on the ropes in the first quarter, taking a 9-7 lead.
Cara Wentzell had four points for California in the period. Katey Doman and Meghan Slavic also scored field goals for the Lady Trojans in the quarter.
“I just don’t know what team is going to show up some nights,” Geibel’s George Bortz said. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride this season. Some nights we play up to our potential. Then we have night’s like this when don’t match a team’s intensity.”
The Lady Gators, despite misfiring most of the night, started to grind their way to a lead in the second period.
Geibel outscored the Lady Trojans 11-6 in the quarter to open up a slim 18-15 halftime lead.
In the period, Julie Wisilosky tied the game for Geibel with a field goal. Julie Vilella added two from the line and Kristin Hozak scored on a missed shot to give the Lady Gators a 13-9 lead.
Doman scored two quick baskets for Cal to tie the game, before a foul shot by Danielle Cochrane and two baskets by Emily Pennington closed out the quarter for Geibel.
Foul trouble hit California in the third period when senior guard Doman went to the bench with her fourth foul. Before she went to the bench, the Trojans had taken a 19-18 lead with four minutes left in the period. Slavic hit one from the line, and Doman had one from the field and hit one from the line before picking up he foul.
Cal extended its lead to 21-18 on two foul shots from Courtney Crockett. Geibel came back with a basket from Wisilosky, and took the lead for good with two minutes left in the quarter when Hozak crashed the offensive glass for a put back to make the score 22-21.
The Lady Gators scored the next seven points to close out the quarter and hold a 28-21 lead after three.
Geibel outscored California 12-9 in the fourth quarter. Freshman Abbie Renze had nine of the Gators’ points in the quarter. Doman did what she could do to keep the Trojans close, scoring nine points before fouling out with 1:27 to play.
“I was happy with the way we played in the fourth quarter,” Bortz said. “We’ve got to learn how to put teams away, and that will come as we learn how to win ballgames.”