Lady Gators top Avella in key Section 2-A match
CONNELLSVILLE – Geibel Catholic continued its rise in Section 2-A. The Lady Gators offset a loss at Avella earlier in the season by defeating the Lady Eagles at Geibel Catholic High School, 59-36, on Monday night.
Going into the game, Avella was alone in second place, one game behind section-leading Carmichaels, with the Lady Gators one game behind the Eagles.
Geibel’s victory moved it into a second place tie.
“We’ve been improving the last three games, and my seniors provided a lot of leadership tonight,” Geibel coach George Bortz said. “We’re playing now the way I thought they could play. I was hoping to get to this point a little earlier, but we’re really coming together as a team.”
Geibel (10-7, 7-2) placed three players in double figures. Seniors Meghan Barry and Julie Wisilosky had 17 and 15 points, respectively. Junior Jessica Vilella, quietly working the baseline, stung the Eagles for 15 more.
The Lady Gators took the opening lead on a 7-0 run and never look back. Emily Pennington opened the scoring with a three-pointer. Vilella followed with two baskets, before Dilonne Bedillion got Avella on the board with a bucket.
Wisilosky added two more scores before Bedillion scored again as Geibel built an 11-4 lead. Following a basket by Wisilosky, Avella (16-3, 7-2) picked up four quick points on a pair of free throws from Ashley Midler and a basket from Renee Brandenburg.
Avella got whistled for a technical foul with six seconds left in the period. Vilella sank both free throws. Geibel took the ball out and Barry hit a running jumper just before the buzzer to give Geibel a 17-8 lead after one.
“I think we have a better overall team than Geibel,” Avella coach Jim Matalik said. “Tonight we just got outplayed.”
The Lady Gators outscored the Eagles 9-8 in the second quarter to take a 26-16 lead at the half. In that quarter, freshman Abbie Renze came off the bench with five points that included a three from the corner. Vilella and Barry also added scores for Geibel. Brandenburg, Midler, Lindsay McConnell and Sarah Gossett scored for Avella.
“We are cutting down on our turnovers , and have been more patient with the ball than we were earlier in the season,” Bortz said. “We have some good spot-up shooters, if we can get them to learn when to take good shots and not force it. When that happens ,we’re fine.”
Geibel opened up a 39-24 lead in the third, out-scoring Avella 13-8. Barry had five in the quarter, which included a trey. Wisilosky added four, while Vilella and Renze chipped in with a basket each.
Bedillion had four in the quarter for Avella.
Geibel put the game away in the fourth quarter with a 20-12 run. Barry paced Geibel with eight points in the quarter, hitting two three-pointers to open, and later adding two from the line. Wisilosky and Vilella had five each in the quarter. Lisa Mitchell hit eight points in the quarter for Avella.
Looking ahead, Bortz thinks Geibel has a shot at a piece of the section title.
“If we win the rest of our games and Avella beats Carmichaels, we get a piece to the title because we have to face the Mikes again. If it goes the other way and Carmichaels beats Avella and we win out, we at least lock up second place.”
The first order of business for Geibel comes Thursday when the Lady Gators face West Greene.