Girls basketball, 2/19: Colonial Semifinals

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond
slewis@digitalsports.com


This is the Deep Run team the Wildcat faithful was looking forward to.

Trailing 31-30 with five minutes left in the third period, Deep Run went on a 19-1 run that stretched nearly 10 minutes of play.

Amy Turner had seven of her game-high 17 points in the spurt, and Nicole Pandak came off the pine to provide 10 points, eight in the bolt to advance to the Colonial District final.

Deep Run turned Tucker over, made crisp passes and seemed to hit every shot that went up.

"Tonight we basically just wanted to make the shorter passes, not the longer ones," Deep Run point guard Jena Baldaino said. "The coaches told us to limit our turnovers, which helped out a lot tonight."

That's what Tucker was doing early, not turning the ball over, playing a stout full-court defense and scoring at a good clip.

Led by Breana Spencer's 12 points, Tucker looked to gain a home Central Region tournament game.

But all of a sudden, the Tigers were out of sync and Deep Run took full advantage.

Emma Newins also added 11 points for Deep Run, who will face Mills Godwin in the district final at 6:30 p.m. at Patrick Henry High.

"We're going to have to play really good defense, as well as really good offense," Baldaino said of Friday's tilt. "When we play as a team we really come out strong. If we play like we played tonight with even more intensity we'll come out great."

J.R. Tucker  14 11 7  6 - 38
Deep Run    11 19 9 14 - 53
J.R. Tucker (17-7): Armstrong 0, Parsons 7, Hilario 2, Shelton 6, Huband 2, Williams 3, Miller 0, Johnson 6, Spencer 12, Wootton 0. Totals: 16 4-8 38. 3-point goals: Spencer 2.
Deep Run (16-8): Baldaino 5, Price 2, Fleisher 2, Turner 17, Fleming 0, Newins 11, Pandak 10, Heard 0, Gram 2, Oliver 0, Snarr 0, Rawlyk 0. Totals: 21 9-13 53. 3-point goals: Turner, Baldaino.


The evidence is there. One day, Patrick Henry may be in the position Mills Godwin is.

The Eagles are chocked full with experience everywhere and sharpshooters anywhere, as Godwin dispatched of the youthful Patriots for the third time this season.

Four Eagles reached double figures in Godwin's usually balanced attack.

Junior Andrea Sisson had 16 points, senior Michelle Foley 15, sophomore Tricia Watkins 14 and Rachel Nichols 10.

The Eagles also received good play inside from Catie Geoghegan, a 6-0 freshman that could prove instrumental if Godwin is to make a third straight Central Region final next week.

Her basket with 5:30 left gave Mills Godwin a 55-40 lead.

"I think we just played very good defense," Sisson said. "We had a couple of lapses, but during the second quarter we played very well."

That quarter was the difference in the game, as the Eagles won 21-6, a 15-point margin. Godwin won by 13 points.

That's how much Katie Anderson scored for PH, including seven in the fourth period as PH cut the lead to 11 on two Anderson free throws at 1:22.

But Godwin stroked its free throws down the stretch to keep PH and the game's leading scorer, Taylor Huber, at bay.

"We have to play continuously good defense and not have any lapses," Foster said. "Keep running the ball and just work as a team because when we play as a team and move the ball well, we're pretty unstoppable."

Patrick Henry 11  6 17 17 - 51
Mills Godwin   14 21 15 14 - 64
Patrick Henry (14-9): Huber 21, Willis 0, Anderson 13, Freeman 6, Schimitt 9, Kenney 0, Morton 0, Brim 2. Totals: 16 14-17 51. 3-point goals: Huber 4, Anderson.
Mills Godwin (23-1): Geoghehan 7, Henshaw 0, Cole 0, Foley 15, Nichols 10, Teague 0, Chapman 0, Foster 2, Watkins 14, Sisson 16. Totals: 21 18-25 64. 3-point goals: Foley 2, Sisson 2.