T-Girls get best of Analy, 70-59

After splitting two previous close games with Analy in Sonoma County League play, the Petaluma T-Girls basketball team turned on the offensive jets to defeat the Tigers, 70-59, in a physically played first-round league tournament contest in the T-Girls’ gym on Tuesday.

Both teams powered to the basket with regularity and bodies flew as Petaluma moved to the SCL Tournament title game against league winner Sonoma Valley. The game will be played in Sonoma tonight at 7 o’clock.

Sonoma Valley easily defeated Healdsburg 51-21 in the other semifinal game.

Petaluma converted an astounding 27 of 28 free throws in the game to maintain control most of the way. Despite those numbers, it was an evenly called contest with the Lady Tigers parading to the line 25 times. The T-Girls did not miss another charity toss after forward Joelle Krist misfired on her first attempt early in the first period.

Krist and her front-line teammate Allison Scranton both fouled out of the game in the fourth period after combining for 21 points.

Petaluma coach Janelle Robello could only shake her head her after the T-Girl back-court players struggled continually to get the ball to mid court against a tenacious Analy press. The Tigers almost got back in it after trailing by 14 points.

“We just threw the ball away too many times,” Robello said. “To make things worse, the girls threw up quick shots when we wanted them to manage the clock in the fourth period.”

Led by junior Olivia Baldwin, the T-Girls rushed to a 31-26 lead at halftime. Baldwin knocked in six points in the first quarter, and turned in a solid defensive game against tall Isabella Niedermair by limiting the 6-foot-1 sophomore to only two points in the first half.

Baldwin picked up her second personal foul early in the second quarter, and left shortly in an effort by Robello to protect her for the remainder of the game. It paid off because Baldwin returned to score 11 points down the stretch to pace Petaluma with 17 points. Her 3-point shot in the final quarter broke a seven-point Analy run.

“It was a breakout game for Olivia,” Robello said. “The girls were up for this game, and everything was up tempo for sure.”

Connecting on three of her first five shots triggered the most productive game of the season for Baldwin.

“When I hit a shot early, it kind of relaxes me,” she said. “I had plenty of opportunities in the second half, and the ball went in. It was my best offensive game this year. It’s going to be a tough game at Sonoma. There is a lot of energy in their gym, and the fans there help get the most out of them. We will be ready.”

As she did in the first game, sophomore Valarie Viramontes sparkled for the Tigers. Viramontes drove past flagging Petaluma defenders to the cup, and led both teams in scoring with 21 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Jenna Petray scored 19 points for Analy in her final game before the North Coast Section playoffs begin Tuesday. Analy fell to 15-10 with the defeat.

A trio of T-Girls finished with double figures to back the offense of Baldwin. Krist ended with 11 points after scoring only one free throw in the first half.

Guard Jenna Teagarden and center Scranton tossed in 10 points each as Petaluma rushed to its eighth consecutive win to improve to 20-6 for the campaign. Cassie Baddeley also came up with six loose balls to go along with eight points.

Until they fouled out, Scranton and Krist controlled the defensive glass for Petaluma with seven rebounds each in the second half.

Robello said she got some great minutes from sophomore Amy Ferrick in the second quarter. Ferrick twice drove the length of the floor which led to a couple of quick T-Girl baskets. She had four points in less than five minutes of play.