Trending
GLADSTONE -- A spirited comeback wasn't quite enough for the Gladstone girls to overcome a slow start here Tuesday night in a 54-42 basketball loss to fifth-ranked Westwood.
Gladstone trailed 19-8 after the first quarter and 37-21 at halftime, then outscored Westwood 19-10 in the third stanza of this Mid-Peninsula Conference match-up.
The Braves also fell to the Patriots 56-40 in their first meeting at Westwood Jan. 3.
"It's pretty amazing how similar our two games were with Westwood," said Braves coach Andy Cretens. "We also fell behind early and made a comeback just eight days ago. We need to get off to better starts."
Westwood (5-0 overall, 4-0 M-PC) gained a 37-19 advantage on a 17-foot set shot by senior forward Jillian Koski late in the second quarter before Braves' senior guard Jamisyn Bergeron sank a 12-foot jumper at the halftime buzzer.
Senior guard Natalie Prophet gave the Patriots a 39-23 cushion on a pair of free throws just 29 seconds into the third stanza.
The Braves responded with six unanswered points, shaving their deficit to 39-29 on a jump shot from the lane by senior guard Chloe Hanson with 5:21 left in the third.
Koski then drained a pair of gifters and converted an offensive rebound into a layup, giving the Patriots a 43-29 advantage.
Gladstone answered with an 11-4 run, pulling within 47-40 on a buzzer-beating eight-foot set shot by senior guard Claire van Ginhoven.
"With the boys playing on the road tonight, there weren't as many of our fans in the building," said Cretens. "It didn't feel as much like a home game. They say the student section accounts for about 4-6 points a game, and you can tell a lot about a team from its bench. We figure energy from the bench can also account for 4-6 points a game, which I think was a huge reason for our comeback. The girls played with a lot of energy."
Both teams struggled to put the ball through the hoop in the fourth frame, with Westwood senior forward Mallory Leece ending the scoring on a layup with 2:21 remaining.
Westwood, which went into a delay offense down the stretch, displayed crisp ballhandling and finished with eight turnovers. The Braves had 12 miscues.
"Mallory makes little plays that turn into big plays, and Jillian played great defense on Claire tonight," said Westwood coach Annie Skewis. "When our point guard fouled out, other girls stepped up. Playing good defense and not crumbling under pressure were keys for us tonight. The girls who have been with us for four years played real well. It's very helpful having that experience."
Freshman guard Alyssa Prophet led the Patriots with 18 points. Senior guard Natalie Prophet added 12.
"We used our height very well in the first half," said Skewis. "Only, we need to work on boxing out and defense. We also need to move our feet more, rather than reaching in."
Hanson, who drained 5-of-6 free throws, led the Braves with 13 points.
"Chloe got us going in the first half," said Cretens. "She has the confidence like Claire does, and Lauren Sundquist sparked us on defense. Tia Schone has real good footwork and is probably the best ballhandler in our program because she puts a lot of time into it. We can definitely build off that."
Gladstone, which won the JV contest 37-36, hosts Manistique Friday. The Patriots, who hosted top-ranked Calumet Wednesday, resume at second-ranked Houghton Friday.
Westwood 19 18 10 7 -- 54
Gladstone 8 13 19 2 -- 42
Westwood -- A. Prophet 18, N. Prophet 12, Koski 6, Marta 6, Williams 4, Leece 8. FT: 7-11; F: 17; Fouled out: Marta; 3-point field goals: A. Prophet 2.
Gladstone -- van Ginhoven 3, Hanson 13, Bergeron 7, Hall 5, Rosa 7, Martinez 7. FT: 12-18; F: 14; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Martinez 2.