Petaluma girls give title-contending Casa Grande a battle

Casa Grande’s girls basketball team managed to get out of the Petaluma High gym with its Vine Valley Athletic League title hopes still alive, but it was a narrow escape Tuesday night. The Gauchos hung on for a 29-21 victory in a game that was closer than the final score indicates.

The win left the Gauchos with a 13-10 record and a 6-3 VVAL mark, a half game behind co-leaders Sonoma Valley and American Canyon. American Canyon and Sonoma go head-to-head Thursday at Sonoma.

Petaluma, now 4-20 overall and 0-9 in league, gave Casa Grande all it could handle on a cold night that seemed to freeze the shooting hands of both teams.

Casa Grande beat Petaluma by 23 points the first time around league play, but the Trojans showed from the start Tuesday night that things were going to be different.

Brook Baxman scored the first four points of the game for Petaluma and a game-long battle was on.

Petaluma dug in behind a fast reacting zone defense and Casa Grande found few ways to work the ball inside and fewer ways to connect from the outside.

“I don’t like a zone defense, but tonight it was what we needed to do,” said Petaluma Coach Sophie Bihn.

Petaluma led at the end of the first period 10-7 and at one point in the second quarter rode the drives of Baxman to a 15-9 lead. By halftime, the Gauchos, who had just two baskets in the second quarter, were shocked to find themselves still trailing 16-13.

Both teams played with the intensity due a rivalry game, but intensity was not enough to overcome poor shooting for both sides.

Petaluma went from cold to frozen in the third quarter, getting just one basket, an inside shot by Emma Hale late in the quarter. Casa Grande didn’t fair much better, but did use a 3-pointer from Avery King to springboard to a 20-18 lead beginning the decisive final period.

That quarter belonged decisively to the Gauchos, whose own swarming defense paid dividends with 7 Petaluma turnovers in the period.

Petaluma got its only 3-pointer in the period, a connection by Baxman, but that was the only points for the Trojans as Marissa Brody drove and willed her way to the basket as the Gauchos fought their way to continued relevance in the hunt for at least a share of the title they won last year.

Annamaria Robertson and Brody led a list of Casa Grande scorers with 8 points each. Baxman had 12 and Hale 7 for the Trojans.

Foul line shooting was representative of the troubles both teams had putting the ball in the basket. Petaluma was unofficially 2 of 9 from the strip, while Casa Grande was 3 of 8.

Before the game, both teams paid tribute to Argus-Courier sports writer and Hale’s grandfather, George Haire, who passed away from natural causes on Jan. 18.

Last week was a tough one for both teams.

Casa Grande defeated Vintage 40-37 and Napa 64-15, but lost a showdown game to American Canyon 46-37.

Petaluma lost to Sonoma Valley 45-20 and Vintage 40-29.