T-Girls let big SCL game slip away in OT

Petaluma let a lead slip away in the final seconds of the fourth period, and the T-Girls fell to rival Analy, 65-60, in overtime Thursday night.|

Petaluma let a lead slip away in the final seconds of the fourth period, and the T-Girls fell to rival Analy, 65-60, in overtime Thursday night. A bank shot from outside the arc and two steals in the backcourt led to the unraveling of a five-point advantage held by Petaluma with less than two minutes to go.

Still, the T-Girls got a reprieve when a technical foul was called on Analy coach Tom Corriveau. “He called time out because his score keeper said that there was one left on the book,” said one referee. “The official book showed that Analy had previously used all of their allotment, so we had to call a technical.”

Two free throws were awarded to Petaluma with only a couple of ticks remaining, and the hot shooter of the game, Joelle Krist, went to the line. Krist hardly rattled the cords as she drained both shots to knot the game at 56 each.

The T-Girls put the ball in play and a near-perfect pass from the sideline by center Allison Scranton caught the Tigers napping under the basket, but a possible game-clinching shot by Krist rolled off the rim.

Both teams played a very fast-paced contest that entertained the big crowd, but the Tigers had the final answers by outscoring Petaluma, 9-4, in the overtime period.

Krist, who wound up with a game high 22 points, didn’t get too many touches in the final four minutes, and her teammates could not find the range with shots that were off target. A couple more turnovers in the back court didn’t help.

Isabell Niedermair pounded the final stake in the Petaluma coffin with a rebound shot in the final minute to seal the win. Ball-hawking sophomore guard Valarie Viramontes tossed in four points in the overtime period.

Analy broke out of the gate with a flourish, and raced to a 13-4 advantage in the opening period. Seven points by Viramontes led the way.

Petaluma climbed back into the contest with steady play on both ends by improving Olivia Baldwin, who pulled down three rebounds and converted a key shot on the offensive end.

The second half belonged to Krist, who scored 19 points after intermission and was a force on the boards.

Analy, now 2-1 in Sonoma County League action, trails league-leading Sonoma by one game while teams still play in the scheduled first round.

Viramontes had an impressive 21 points and Taylor Lehmann added 11.

Cassie Baddeley helped steady the ship for the host T-Girls with six points in the first quarter, and added a basket in overtime for a total of eight.

Emily O’Keefe came off the bench to give some stability to Petaluma guard play as she attacked the full court pressure defense by using both dribbling hands to advance the ball. O’Keefe ended the game with seven points for Petaluma, including a 3-point shot in her first minute of play. Baldwin and Scranton added six points each.

Trojan coach Janelle Robello hoped that the frustration of a Tuesday loss in Sonoma might give her girls some early energy. It didn’t, but Petaluma battled back to make it a contest after the end of the first quarter. Robello was encouraged when the T-Girls played stronger defense down the stretch, limiting Analy to only 24 points in the final two periods of regulation.

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