Casa Grande rallies to beat Montgomery in NCS quarterfinal

It was a great week for the Grande girls basketball team as it won two games in the North Coast Section Division 2 playoffs to reach the semifinals.

Casa Grande had little trouble with Windsor in its first game, romping to a 52-36 win. By contrast, the Gauchos had to play what might have been their best game of the season in the quarterfinals, holding off Montgomery 51-48.

The wins put Casa Grande into the section semifinal game against No. 1-seed Bishop O’Dowd from Oakland on Wednesday night. Results of that game were not available at print press time.

Casa Grande held Montgomery to four points in the fourth quarter and then held on themselves for a 51-48 victory and a spot in the North Coast Section Division 2 semifinal game.

Playing in the Montgomery gym, the Gauchos shook off a bad third period to win their seventh straight game in a spirited run to the NCS semifinalgame.

“It was one of the finest games I’ve ever coached in,” said Casa Grande Coach Scott Himes.

Casa Grande entered the fourth quarter of what had all the earmarks of being their final game of the season trailing 44-35. But the Gauchos dominated every aspect o the final period, and took the lead in the last 50 seconds on free throw hits from Marissa Brody and Jamie McGaughey.

In the final seconds, Montgomery tried desperately to get the ball inside to center Emily Mathis, but were denied by blanket coverage from McGaughey and Amalie Barr.

Body and Anamaria Robertson led the final period surge scoring 11 of Casa Grande’s 16 points in the period. Body finished with 15 points and Robertson with 11.

The first half was a well-played even match with Casa Grande scoring the first six points of the game on inside baskets by McGaughey, Barr and Brody and holding a 14-9 opening quarter advantage that dissipated by the halftime buzzer as Mathis and Elie Picard led the Vikings back to a 27-27 tie.

Mathis, inside, finished with 17 points and Picard, outside, 16 to carry the Vikings.

Although they reached the midpoint tied, Casa set the tone for the game by playing a controlled offense and a smothering zone defense.

“We were able to make them play our tempo,” said Himes. “We did a great job in executing our offense.”

Although the third quarter was not a good one for Casa Grande, it was pivotal in the overall game.

Himes went to his bench and Montgomery was able to build a 44-35 lead, but Gaucho starters were also able to be fresh for the decisive fourth-quarter surge.

“I trusted my bench,” Himes said. “I knew we needed to have energy at the end.”

When Barr, Robertson and McGaughey returned, it was to dominate the game, outscore Montgomery 16-4 in the final quarter and advance to play in the semifinals

It will not be an easy task.

Bishop O’Dowd is 17-8 on the season and has destroyed its first two playoff opponents, defeating Bethel of Vallejo 85-12 and Ukiah 58-23.

FIRST ROUND

Casa Grande had too many weapons for Windsor’s overmatched Jaguars in the first round of the playoffs. Casa’s Gauchos got scoring from seven different players and contributions from several others in romping to a 52-36 victory.

The game was really no contest. Windsor’s visitors to the Coach Ed Iacopi Gym had no way to match the inside play of Barr, the drives of Robertson and Brody, the defense of McGaughey and the depth of the Casa Grande bench.

Windsor’s Isabella Travelstead drove for the game’s first basket. Casa’s Every King answered with a 3-pointer and the Gauchos never trailed.

By the end of the first period, the Gauchos were on top 14-8 and by the half the gap had widened to 29-18.

Windsor made a late run in the fourth period sparked by a trey from Skyler Westover, but Barr capped off a dominating inside performance with a final three baskets to finish off the Gaucho triumph.

Barr finished with 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double performance, a feat matched by Brody who scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Robertson again had several magical like fingertip rolls on drives and scored 11 points.

Other scoring came from King with 5 points, McGaughey with four and 10 rebounds, Ava Nelson with 4 and Alex Giacomini with 3.

Westover carried the scoring load for Windsor with 16.

Himes said the Gauchos’ success was built on more than their physical skills. “Two things we always write on the board are intensity and energy,: he said. “They are two things you cannot scout against.”