With three Tri-County Athletic League tilts remaining, the
Gilroy High girls basketball team (18-1, 8-0 TCAL) has a two-game
lead over the rest of the field after a must-have 51-39 triumph
over North Salinas on Thursday night in Gilroy
– completing the season sweep of the TCAL’s defending
champion.
Let the countdown begin.
With three Tri-County Athletic League tilts remaining, the Gilroy High girls basketball team (18-1, 9-0 TCAL) has a two-game lead over the rest of the field after a must-have 51-39 triumph over North Salinas on Thursday night in Gilroy – completing the season sweep of the TCAL’s defending champion.
In a game loaded with league championship implications – a loss would’ve meant a tie for first between GHS and North Salinas – the Mustangs, led by senior Chelsea Hill’s 18 points and a smothering defense defended home court.
The Mustangs survived their prove-it-week gauntlet – GHS beat San Benito 45-35 on Tuesday – and a TCAL crown is now just a couple wins away.
“Everyone understood what they needed to do and it just never felt like this was in jeopardy,” GHS head coach Tim Jones said.
Gilroy trailed 10-7 following a slow first quarter. However, the Mustangs took a 22-16 lead at the break, which climbed to 39-28 by the end of the third.
The Vikings went on a run behind top-scorer Tiana Osborne (16 points) and cut the lead to six with 4:25 to play.
“I expected that,” Jones said of the Vikings’ surge. “All of a sudden we stopped them from doing anything. They just didn’t score.”
Gilroy’s defense held the Vikings to just two points down the stretch to seal the win.
“This was the biggest game of our entire season. I don’t even think Hollister compared to this,” Hill said. “This determined the league championship. The next three teams we have beaten and it hasn’t been close. This was by far the hardest game.”
The Mustangs travel to Notre Dame (57-47 last meeting) on Thursday before playing their final home game against Alisal (58-14) on Feb. 15. GHS hits the road for the season finale Feb. 17 against Salinas (62-33).
Despite the outcomes of the Mustangs’ previous matchups with the three teams that lie ahead Jones said his team’s mentality will not change.
“We are going to play like we are playing for a chance to get into the playoffs,” Jones said. “Notre Dame came here and played really well against us. So our motivation for them is that. I believe (the players) know what it’s going to take. I don’t think we are going to have to talk about it much. It’s good to be in this position rather than have to play yourself up.”
Back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Ashley Lambert ignited the Mustangs’ offense, which had struggled throughout the first quarter. Lambert’s treys propelled GHS to a 14-10 advantage – a lead that it never relinquished.
Michelle Sosa took her turn beyond the arc with 11 seconds left to stake the Mustangs to a 22-16 lead entering the intermission.
The offense remained in the zone as the Mustangs hit six of their first seven shots of the half to take a 37-25 lead six minutes into the third.
“Tonight was our best game,” Hill said. “The first quarter was horrible, but the next three were spot on.”
The margin stretched to as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter before the Vikings inside game got them back in the ball game. Osborne scored four points in the quarter and five straight from Amy Woo closed the gap, but were also the Vikings’ final points of the game.
Sosa, who finished with 17 points, and Hill combined for all 12 of the Mustangs’ points in the fourth quarter, registering six apiece.
