Gilroy girls crush Sobrato 69-20 to clinch undefeated season in
league
Gilroy – Gilroy head coach Kari Williams did not want to get emotional before Senior Night and her team’s tilt with Sobrato Thursday night.
“I didn’t know what I’d say for our pre-game talk,” said Williams, who had six seniors celebrate their last home game.
So the coach handed her players cards and walked out of the locker room. The move saved Williams some tears, but not her players. They went into the first quarter with red eyes.
“Starting out, they had puffy eyes,” Williams said, smiling. “I didn’t know if they could see the basket.”
The Mustangs started off somewhat sluggish, but that didn’t last long. The Tri-County Athletic League champs eventually found their rhythm and defeated the young Bulldogs 69-20 to close the books on a perfect 12-0 league record.
“It was well worth the wait,” said senior guard Marissa Nowakowski. “(Being a senior) made it all the better.”
With an all-senior starting lineup of Nowakowski, point guard Kristen Campos, forward Sara Griffis, forward Jessica Groppe and guard Katherine Hussey, Gilroy took a 15-7 lead going into the second quarter. The Mustangs opened that period with 10 unanswered points.
Hussey, who led Gilroy with 24 points and 16 rebounds, had two lay-ups during that run, one the result of a steal she made at half court. Groppe (11 points, 16 rebounds) and Griffis (6 points, 2 steals) each had putbacks and Campos (4 points, 8 assists) had a lay-up in transition.
Sobrato (7-15, 0-12), which has five freshmen but no seniors on its roster, scored its three second-quarter points on free throws.
Nowakowski (8 points, 5 steals, 2 assists) and junior forward Dana Schoeneman (8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals) also starred for Gilroy.
The Senior Night farewell ceremony, during which the girls were escorted by the seniors from the boys basketball team to mid-court to meet groups of their family and friends, was a moment the seniors had been looking forward to, but also dreading.
“It was very tough. You don’t ever realize it’s your last game,” Campos said. “I cried to my mom last night.”
Groppe received an unexpected – but much welcomed – surprise when she was announced: Her sister Nicole, who made the trip from San Diego for the game.
“For me, I had forgot my (basketball) shoes before the game, so I wasn’t really focused on Senior Night,” Groppe said. “I was totally surprised.”
The players’ tears were intermixed with laughs, especially when it came time to present a video made for the team. The video had footage of baby pictures and the seniors answering questions while dressed up in funny costumes.
The only senior who didn’t see the court was Nina Blas, who has been out for the past few weeks with a broken bone in her right foot. But the guard will have her cast removed soon and hopes to be back for the Central Coast Section playoffs, which kick off next week.
“I wish I was out there playing than be on the bench, but it’s still the same,” Blas said. “We’re so close, it’s even fun on the bench.”
The Mustangs, who could potentially be given a No. 1 seed in the Division I playoffs, will find out who they play Sunday at the CCS playoffs seeding meeting.
Gilroy 69, Sobrato 20
Sobrato 7 3 3 7 -20
Gilroy 15 18 20 16 -69
Gilroy (23-4, 12-0), Sobrato (7-15, 0-12)
JV Boys Take TCAL Trophy
Before the varsity did it, the Gilroy JV boys basketball team clinched the TCAL championship.
The JV Mustangs defeated Salinas Wednesday 64-51 to finish 10-1 in the league and 24-3 overall.
“Anytime you win a championship, it’s a 14-man effort,” said JV coach Jay Baksa. “They not only won TCAL but won every tournament they were in, which is something you don’t see very often. It’s a special team.”
Marshad Johnson paced Gilroy with a double-double of 18 points and 15 rebounds. The sophomore also blocked six shots. Derek Jensen dished out seven assists and drained five 3-pointers en route to 17 points. Jacob Dexter chipped in 17 points.
Frosh Girls Cap Season With Win
The freshman girls basketball team defeated Sobrato Wednesday 52-20 to close out a successful 20-4 season.
Jen Rose was the scoring leader with 13 points while Laura Spellman chipped in 12. Kristy Pineda played solid defense and also contributed six points.
“It was an honor and pleasure to coach this group of talented, hard-working young ladies,” said freshman coach Melissa Noto. “Watch for them in the future.”
