By GALEN WELLNICKI
Sometime during the second marathon whistle-blowing and free throw-shooting exhibition of the young season at Eagle Gym, Georgetown and Killeen Ellison were able to complete a non-district basketball game on Monday afternoon.
Ellison prevailed 55-49 in a game that came down to the final 35 seconds with Georgetown still having more than a mathematical chance of earning the victory despite the absence of senior point guard Brooke Elliott, who is sidelined in the midst of the concussion protocol.
However, both groups of Eagles—one blue and one green—had to negotiate a mine field of 61 total fouls, 82 free-throw attempts and five player disqualifications, including three GHS players (Dee Day, Emery Herman and Taylor Elliott).
In the Lady Eagles’ season opener against Waco Midway a different Austin-based officiating crew called 71 fouls resulting in 79 free throws and seven player disqualifications.
With Elliott expected to be back at full strength this coming Tuesday, the Lady Eagles, now 3-4 on the season, will travel to Pflugerville Connally to face the Lady Cougars in their District 19-5A opener. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. JV and freshman action will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Connally opened its district schedule this past Tuesday afternoon, dropping a 51-38 decision to Bastrop Cedar Creek. Georgetown had the first-round bye in district action. Other district openers Tuesday saw Bastrop beat East View, 42-28; Cedar Prak whip Hutto, 88-37; amd Rouse pound Elgin, 92-31.
The GHS-Ellison game was decided at the free throw line. Class 6A Ellison, now 7-1 on the year, made three of four free-throw attempts and held GHS scoreless in the final seconds to clinch the victory behind a 26-point effort by LaPraisjan Johnson, who also was given an early exit with 2:58 remaining in the game.
In all, neither GHS or Ellison would have been a solid contender in a free-throw shooting contest, combining for 42 successes in 82 attempts—for a 51.2 percentage. Ellison made 21 of 37 and Georgetown 21 of 45. Seventeen different players got a chance to troop to the line.
Georgetown trailed by double digits at several points in the third quarter, but battled back to trail by only seven at the end of the period. A basket by junior Maddie Vickers pulled GHS within 3 points at 50-47 with 1:41 to go, but they could get no closer. Vickers led Lady Eagles’ scoring with 14 points and the freshman Herman added 11.
“I really liked a lot of the things we did today,” GHS coach Rhonda Farney said. “We do have to make our free throws. Our kids are playing very intense right now, and they need to relax at the free-throw line. They’re thinking too much. We’re played so much better than our last game (a loss to Pflugerville). . . . I love the way we’ve practiced since the Pflugerville game.”
“We’re playing a lot of young kids, so, right now, we are lacking consistency, but I feel we’ll improve in the next few weeks. We continue to play good defense. I was pleased with the play of Josie (junior Weirich) and Ali (sophomore) Isbell (who were replacing Brooke Elliott at the point).
“We just didn’t make enough free throws tonight.”
GHS posted a slight edge on the boards with sophomore Jaelyn Knight and Herman each pulling down five. Herman also had eight assists.
BIG SUB-VARSITY WEEK
Kristin Curtis’ Georgetown Freshman Blue posted a 5-0 record, winning the championship of the East View Tournament and bested Ellison, 38-37 in overtime. The Lady Eagles topped East View, 37-4, in the championship game after besting Round Rock Westwood, Hutto and Vandegrift.
The Lady Eagles’ JV had a 4-1 record, finishing with a 3-1 showing in their division of the East View tournament, and besting Ellison, 44-38, behind a 14-point effort by Emili Harris, who missed early season action with an injury.
The GHS Freshman White had a 2-4 week, including a 12-11 win over Ellison in which the Lady Eagles pitched a first-half shutout. They won one of five games playing in the Freshman A Division of the Belton
sub-varsity event.
DISTRICT 19-5A GIRLS BASKETBALL
Standings — Bastrop, 1-0; Bastrop Cedar Creek, 1-0; Cedar Park, 1-0; Rouse, 1-0; Georgetown, 0-0; East View, 0-1; Elgin, 0-1; Hutto, 0-1, Pflugerville Connally, 0-1.
Tuesday’s results — Bastrop 42, East View 28; Cedar Creek 51, Connally 38; Cedar Park 88, Hutto 37; Rouse 92, Elgin31. Bye — Georgetown.
Next Tuesday’s games — Georgetown at Connally, 7 p.m.; Rouse at Bastrop, 7 p.m.; Cedar Park at Elgin, 7 p.m.; Cedar Creek at Hutto, 7 p.m. Bye — East View.
MONDAY’S NON-DISTRICT GAME
Varsity
KILLEEN ELLISON 55. GEORGETOWN 49
ELLISON (55)—Gemma Alhambra 1-2 3-6 5, Dajia Planas 0-2 1=3 1, Marliah Johnson 0-0 4-6 4, Amani Bradshaw 0-1 0-1 0, Sydney Brock 2-4 0-4 0, C.C. McClain 0-3 1-2 1, Felizians Davis 1-3 1=2 3, Madison Covington 3-6 5-6 11, LaPraisjan Johnson 9-14 6-7 26. Totals: 16-36 21-37 55.
GHS (49)—Ali Isbell 0-0 3-8 3, Josie Weirich 0-4 1-4 4, Taylor Elliott 1-5 1-1 3, Jaelyn Knight 1-1 6-12 8, Maddie Vickers 4-10 5-6 14, Emery Herman 3-4 5-10 11, Jade Smith 1-2 0-0 2, Dee Day 2-4 0-2 4, Emily Jones 1-3 0-2 2. Totals: 13-33 21-45 49.
Halftime: Ellison, 26-21. 3-point shooting: KE 21 (Covington 5, Davis 5); GHS 25 (Knight 5, Herman 5, Smith 4, Day 4). Assists: GHS 11 (Herman 8, Knight 2, Weirich 1). Steals: GHS 10 (T. Elliott 4, Vickers 2, Smith 2). Block: GHS 1 (Smith). Turnovers: KE 11, GHS 13. Total fouls: KE 29, GHS 32. Fouled out: KE, Planas (4:19, third); Johnson (2:58, fourth); GHS, Day (fourth, 5:33); Herman (fourth, 4:30); Elliott (:37, fourth). Technical fouls: none. Records: Killeen Ellison, 7-1; Georgetown, 3-4.
Sub Varsity
(GHS scoring only)
Junior Varsity
GEORGETOWN 44, KILLEEN ELLISON 38 — Gracie Speer 4, Morgan Bruning 0, Ali Isbell 5, Samari O’Brien 1, Miranda Gill 7, Kylie Ellsworth 7, Emili Harris 14, Jade Smith 2, McCall Hampton 4. Halftime: GHS, 21-18. GHS record: 4-3.
Freshman
GHS BLUE 38, KILLEEN ELLISON A 37 (0T) — Hailey Smith 9, Maya Perry 1, Kylie Ellsworth 3, Kylee Sander 0, Mercedes Robledo 0, Keiana San Miguel 11, McCall Hampton 4, MacKenzy Mouton 10. Halftime: Ellison, 20-12. Regulation: 33-33. GHS record: 6-1.
GHS WHITE 12, KILLEEN ELLISON B 11 — Tatiana Williams 0, Na Keia 2 Cook, A’Brielle Abrams 2, Celeste Valdez 0, SueEllen Albrecht 0, Rachel Heine 0, Keyla Perez 8, Madison Rincon 0. Halftime: GHS, 6-0. GHS record: 3-5.
WEEKEND SUB-VARSITY TOURNAMENTS
(GHS scoring only)
EAST VIEW TOURNAMENT
Junior Varsity
GEORGETOWN 38, AUSTIN BOWIE 20 — Speer 12, Bruning 0, Isbell 6, O’Brien 3, Gil 5, Smith 12. Halftime: GHS, 28-13. GHS record, 1-2.
VISTA RIDGE 39, GEORGETOWN 38 — Speer 8, Bruning 0, Isbell 12, O’Brien 2, Gil 0, Smith 16. Halftime: GHS, 18-17. GHS record: 1-3.
GEORGETOWN 52, HUTTO 33 — Speer 11, Bruning 6, Isbell 5, O’Brien 0, Gil 2, Harris 2, Smith 26. Halftime: GHS, 24-9. GHS record: 2-3.
GEORGETOWN 46. EAST VIEW 18—Speer 9. Bruning 3, Isbell 5, O’Brien 2, Gil 8, Harris 11, Smith 8. Halftime: GHS, 28-13. GHS record: 3-3.
Freshman
GEORGETOWN BLUE 43, ROUND ROCK WESTWOOD 24—Hailey Hanson 4, Smith 3, Perry 5, Ellsworth 2, Sander 10, Robledo 5, San Miguel 2, Hampton 8, Mouton 5. Halftime: GHS, 16-9. GHS record: 2-1.
GEORGETOWN 59, HUTTO 17—Hanson 9, Smith 3, Perry 0, Ellsworth 6, Sander 7, Robledo 4, San Miguel 7, Hampton 6, Mouton 10. Halftime: GHS, 39-6. GHS record: 3-1.
GEORGETOWN 27, VANDEGRIFT 21—Hanson 0, Smith 0, Perry 5, Ellsworth 0, Sander 2, Robledo 2, San Miguel 9, Hampton 7, Mouton 0. Halftime: GHS, 13-5. GHS record: 4-1.
Championship Game
GEORGETOWN 37, EAST VIEW 4—Hanson 3, Smith 3, Perry 0, Ellsworth 4, Sander 3, Robledo 5, San Miguel 3, Hampton 10, Mouton 6. Halftime: GHS, 19-3. GHS record: 5-1.
BELTON TOURNAMENT
Freshman
KILLEEN ELLISON A 38, GEORGETOWN WHITE 15—Cook 6, Abrams 5, Heine 4, Perez 4. Halftime: Ellison, 26-7. GHE record: 1-2.
GEORGETOWN WHITE 21, KILLEEN ELLISON B 18—Cook 7, Abrams 4, Albrecht 2, Heine 2, Perez 6. Halftime: GHS, 9-5. GHS record: 2-2.
ROUSE A 32, GEORGETOWN WHITE 18—Abrams 8, Heine 4, Perez 6. Halftime: Rouse, 15-7. GHS record: 2-3.
COPPERAS COVE A 43, GEORGETOWN WHITE 27—Cook 8, Abrams 9, Albrecht 2, Heine 1, Perez 7. Halftime: Copperas Cove 21-15. GHS record: 2-4.
LEANDER GLENN A 36, GEORGETOWN WHITE 12—Cook 9, Abrams 2, Perez 1. Halftime: Glenn, 25-4. GHS record: 2-5.