GHS—FROSTDAY1
By GALEN WELLNICKI
After splitting a pair of games on the opening day of the 38th annual Jack Frost Tournament, including a strong performance against 6A second-state ranked San Antonio Wagner, Georgetown’s Lady Eagles will be trying to claim a spot in the Silver Bracket semifinals on Friday night.
To gain that spot at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in Eagle Gym, the Lady Eagles must beat Lubbock Coronado at 7:30 p.m. Friday on the same playing surface. The Mustangs also went 1-1 in opening-day action, losing to Wagner, 57-43, and edging perky Leander, 36-32.
The Lady Eagles, now 5-5 on the season with four of their losses being to state-ranked 6A opponents, opened the tournament with a 52-20 victory over Leander and then dropped a 62-56 decision to Wagner in the final 94 seconds.
If Georgetown beats Coronado, they will play the loser of Friday afternoon’s Pool B showdown between state-ranked worthies Liberty Hill and San Antonio Incarnate Word, which both went 2-0 on Thursday, in Saturday morning Silver semifinals. The Silver finals will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the GHS Auxiliary Gym.
In the battle with undefeated Wagner (10-0), GHS led by nine points at 36-27 on a basket by senior point guard Brooke Elliott with 5:28 to go in the third period.
However, following the lead of Stanford-bound Kiana Williams, who scored 35 points (20 in the second half); the Thunderbirds began to chip into the Lady Eagles’ margin. GHS led 46-43 after three periods, but the game soon became a see-saw affair with senior post Dee Day, who scored a team-high 26 points, giving GHS its final lead at 54-52 with 1:59 remaining on a bucket-and-one.
Williams then hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 20-second span to put the T-Birds up 58-54 with 1:14 left. GHS sophomore Jaelyn Knight scored with 50 seconds left to make it 58-56, but Williams closed out the game with four free throws as the Lady Eagles were put in a position where they had to foul in an attempt to regain possession of the ball.
Williams and her backcourt mate Angel Hastings combined for 55 of Wagner’s 62 points as she added 20.
After the game, Georgetown coach Rhonda Farney equated the motivational impact of the Wagner game to the team’s loss to Lubbock Coronado in the Jack Frost finals during their 2012-13 march to the Class 5A state championship.
“That Coronado game was the spark that turned around the championship season, Farney said, “and that could have happened tonight. They got an opportunity to play an outstanding team and the kids proved they were good enough to win. They gained a lot out there tonight.”
In a tournament that has featured the talents of former college standouts Moriah Jefferson (UConn), Amber Orrange (Stanford) and Odyssey Sims (Baylor) in recent years, Farney had high praise for Williams, who hit 12 of 23 from the floor. “Williams is the real deal,” she said.
“Dee started showing more on the offense end tonight,” Farney said of Day’s dominant performance inside, including nine consecutive points in the third quarter and 16 of her 26 in the second half.
“Taylor and Emery (freshman Herman) played extremely well on defense,” Farney said.
“Emery guarded No. 20 (the 5-3 Hastings). It’s good to know she can guard a dominant offensive player 40 feet from the basket. EJ (Jones) and Jaelyn (a pair of sophomores) are coming along. I was proud of the way Brooke handled their pressure and managed the game. Statistically, GHS made 18 of 34 shots (52 percent), missing both of its 3-point tries. Taylor Elliott also was in double figures for the Lady Eagles with 10 points. Georgetown did post a dominant 36-11 edge in rebounding with Brooke Elliott getting 12 and Day and Jones adding eight and seven, respectively.
In opening the day with its second victory of the season over undersized Leander, the Lady Eagles led only 6-1 after the first period and 16-7 at the half. Neither team scored in the first 3:16 of the game. The Lady Lions did not make their first field goal until only 11 seconds remained in the first half. Georgetown came out stronger in the second half, scoring the first 14 points of the third quarter to take control.
Day and Taylor Elliott led GHS scoring with 13 and 11 points, respectively, as Farney substituted freely.
THURSDAY’S GHS POOL BOXSCORES
Pool A
GEORGETOWN 52, LEANDER 20
LEANDER (20)—Mikaela Noe 2-3 2-4 7, Kassadie Sanders 2-5 3-4 8, Grace Dickson 0-0 0-0 0, Alyssa McByers 0-0 0-0 0, Morgan Worthy 0-1 0-0 0, Alicia Molina 1-5 0-0 3, Alexis Bell 0-2 1-2 1, Peighton Smith 0-1 1-2 1, Natalie Kerlick 0-1 0-0. Totals: 5-18 7-12 20.
GEORGETOWN (52)—Brooke Elliott 3-7 0-2 7, Josie Weirich 1-2 0-2 2, Taylor Elliott 3-5 3-4 11, Kaelyn Knight 3-3 2-2 8, Maddie Vickers 1-1 0-0 3, Emery Herman 0-2 0-0 0, Jade Smith 0-0 2-2 2, Dee Day 3-6 7-10 13, Jones 3-3 0-0 6. Totals: 17-29 14-22 52.
Halftime: GHS, 28-7. 3-point shooting: LHS 3-7 (Noe 1-2, Sanders 1-2, Molina 1-3); GHS 4-10 (B. Elliott 1-3, Weirich 0-1, T. Elliott 2-3, Vickers 1-1, Herman 0-2). Rebounds: LHS 8 (McByers 3); GHS 17 (Day 6, Knight 3). Assists: GHS 12 (B Elliott 2, Weirich 2, T. Elliott 2, Smith 2, Jones 2). Steals: GHS 16 (B. Elliott 5, Weirich 3, Day 3)). Blocks: GHA 1 (T. Elliott). Turnovers: GHS 7. Total fouls: LHS 17, GHS 15. Fouled out: none. Records: Leander, 3-7; Georgetown 5-4.
S.A. WAGNER 62, GEORGETOWEN 56
WAGNER (62)—Markea Sullivan 0-0 0-0 0, Josline Hernandez 1-2 0-0 3, Angel Hastings 7-13 6-6 20, Toni Cuellar 0-0 0-0 0, Jada Young 0-1 0-0 0. Kiana Williams 12-23 5-6 35, Audrinque Anthony-Harris 1-2 0-0 2, Da’Nasia Hood 0-3 0-0 0, K. Larsen 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 22-44 11-12 62.
GEORGETOWN (56)–B. Elliott 2-6 3-4 7, Weirich 0-0 0-0 0, T. Elliott 3-6 4-4 10, Knight 2-3 5-8 9, Vickers 0-1 0-1 0, Herman 0-2 2-2 2, Day 10-13 6-9 26, Jones 1-3 0-0 2. Totals: 18-34 20-29 56.
Halftime: GHS, 30-23. 3-point shooting: SAW 7-17 (Hernandez 1-1, Hastings 0-3, Williams 6-11, Hood 0-2); GHS 0-2 (B. Elliott 0-1, T. Elliott 0-1). Rebounds: SAW 11 (Williams 4); GHS 36 (B. Elliott 12, Day 8, Jones 7, Knight 4, Herman 4). Assists: GHS 15 (Herman 6, T. Elliott 6). Steals: GHS 7 (B. Elliott 2, T. Elliott 2, Day 2). Blocks: GHS 0. Turnovers: GHS 4. Total fouls: SAW 23, GHS 14. Fouled out: GHS, T. Elliott (:02, fourth). Records: San Antonio Wagner 10-0, Georgetown 5-5.
GIRLS POOLS At A GLANCE
Pool A
Standings: San Antonio Wagner, 2-0, Georgetown, 1-1; Lubbock Coronado, 1-1; Leander 0-2.
Thursday’s results: Georgetown 52, Leander 20; Wagner 57, Coronado 43; Wagner 62, Georgetown 56; Coronado 36, Leander 32.
Friday’s games: Coronado vs. Georgetown, Eagle Gym, 7:30 p.m.; Leander vs. Wagner, Robertson Center, noon.
Pool B
Standings: Liberty Hill, 2-0; San Antonio Incarnate Word, 2-0; Cibolo Steele, 0-2; Vandegrift, 0-2.
Thursday’s results: Liberty Hill 61, Steele 57; Incarnate Word 54, Vandegrift 32; Liberty Hill 60, Vandegrift 54; Incarnate Word 67, Cibolo Steele 63 (OT).
Friday’s games: Cibolo Steele vs. Vandegrift, Eagle Gym, 1:30 p.m.; Liberty Hill vs. Incarnate Word, GHS Auxiliary, 3 p.m.
Pool C
Standings: Argyle, 2-0; Houston Westbury Christian, 1-1; Fort Worth Trimble Tech, 1-1; Belton, 0-2.
Thursday’s results: Argyle 54, Trimble Tech 31; Westbury Christian 72, Belton 70; Argyle 65, Belton 31; Trimble Tech 69, Westbury Christian 64.
Friday’s games: Argyle vs. Westbury Christian, 1:30 p.m., GHS Auxiliary Gym; Belton vs. Trimble Tech, Robertson Center, 1:30 p.m.
Pool D
Standings: Tyler John Tyler, 2-0; Hurst Bell, 1-1; East View, 1-1; Austin Bowie, 0-2.
Thursday’s results: John Tyler 70, Bell 69; East View 46, Bowie 44; Bell 42, East View 37; John Tyler 64, Bowie 59 (2 OT).
Friday’s games: Bell vs. Bowie, Eagle Gym, 3 p.m.; East View vs. John Tyler, GHS Auxiliary Gym, 4:30 p.m.