Montgomery defense holds off Casa’s Lady Gauchos

Visiting Montgomery took the wind out of senior night at Casa Grande by extending its defense to deny any long range responses en route to a 39-31 win over the Lady Gauchos on Tuesday.|

Visiting Montgomery took the wind out of senior night at Casa Grande by extending its defense to deny any long range responses en route to a 39-31 win over the Lady Gauchos on Tuesday.

Veteran coach Steve Bell targeted all the main scoring weapons for Casa by placing defenders on both extended wings, and it resulted in a long night for the frustrated 3-ball shooting Gauchos. Montgomery also lingered in the back court after every change in ball possession and it made things tough for Casa to get into their regular half court sets.

To make matters worse, one of the top Casa threats, shooting guard Cassidy McKinney, was sent to the floor when she took a violent charge in the second quarter. McKinney, still wearing a brace from a knee injury this summer, slumped on the baseline and had to be assisted from the contest. With her went the possibility of double-digit scoring, both outside and driving the lane.

“We won’t know anything until later tonight,” said the disappointed junior point maker. “We plan to go to Novato after the game, and I am sure they will x-ray the ankle.” Most of those around the team breathed a little easier when it was determined that it wasn’t the surgically repaired knee.

With McKinney watching on crutches, the Gauchos still made a game of it in the first half, and trailed only 18-17 while both teams left the floor at intermission.

Joy Jovick kept Casa in the hunt by driving the lane to the tune of seven points in the first half. Jovick and Mia Cain were both victimized by foul trouble early in the second half when Casa went completely cold for nearly five minutes, and the Vikings began to slowly pull away. Jovick, Cain and Caty Milar all later fouled out of the rough game. Jovick finished with eight rebounds.

Steady senior LaDonna Saint Louis had a strong second half, scoring eight of her team-leading 13 points by driving the baseline after Montgomery skillfully ran down the clock on each possession with Destiny Grayer at the point.

Cain brought energy to the game for Casa off the bench, and kept the ball alive under both baskets. Her late season improved offensive play has provided coach Dan Sack more flexibility in substitution patterns down the stretch, but fouls crippled the Lady Gaucho comeback.

Casa Grande (13-11) made one final push in the fourth quarter with a couple of bombs from unexpected sources. Hustling point guard replacement Jocelyn Diaz-Monter and seldom-used sophomore Samantha Schaefer both rimmed 3-point shots as the Gauchos cut the margin to 36-31 with two minutes left. They got no closer as Montgomery passed the ball around the Casa zone quickly to run out the clock.

Overall, it was a night of frustration for Casa Grande as off-balance wing shooters Hannah Sullivan and Millar were a combined 1 for 19 from the floor. Normally, both have periods of solid shooting. Casa converted on only five shots from outside the arc.

Montgomery (18-7) was more content to look for openings in the painted area, and its passing drew too-much fouling for the Gauchos to respond. Shalya Newman, the top-scoring Lady Viking at 15.5 points per game, was held to eight points as the Gauchos shaded the paint with their match-up zone defense. Newman managed to pace both teams with 12 rebounds.

The Vikings made it a two-game sweep by blasting Casa Grande, 60-26, in the junior varsity contest. The fast-passing younger club from Santa Rosa improved to 13-0 in the North Bay League and 23-0 for the season.

Last week, Casa Grande won one and lost one against tough NBL competition.

Playing at home, the Gauchos defeated Windsor, 56-44.

The game was not as close as the final score indicates, wih Casa Grande building a 30-17 halftime lead.

Casa dominated the backboards with Cain scoring 18 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Sullivan counting 11 points and pulling down eight rebouds, Jovick scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds and McKinney scoring six points and pulling down 11 rebounds.

Angela Higareda led Windsor with 13 points.

Playing at Ukiah, the Gauchos closed with a rush, but couldn’t overcome a 12-point third-quarter deficit, and lost to the Lady Wildcats, 60-54.

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