(SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.) A strong second half effort propelled Gilbert Christian past Scottsdale Christian, 34-28, Thursday evening in 3A girls' basketball action. Freshman Lillie Duitsman led the charge for the Knights, with a breakout performance that included 13 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals.
"Team wins like this are so fun to be a part of," Head Coach Mark Duitsman said. "We played very tight that first half and sometimes that happens, the hoop just seems to get smaller. It was never a lack of effort by anyone. Every player is pouring their heart into this and you can't ask for anything more than that. You just have to believe eventually we're going to have that one play or moment that sparks us. Thankfully we had that moment out of the half and all of that offensive tension suddenly turned into rhythm. It was triggered by our ball pressure in the third, and I thought Melissa and Unesu did fantastic in that area. Addie was fighting for rebounds, Gracie had some nice finishes, and Lils hit some big shots. The highlight for me was hearing the team lift each other up. Everyone puts the group ahead of themselves. That is not always an easy thing to do but these young ladies have that kind of character and maturity. They deserve to feel these wins together."
The Knights struggled to find a rhythm early in the contest, but used a different lineup and a new defense after the halftime break to spark a run that would endure for the remainder of the game.
The third was a sight to see, as GCHS amped up its pressure and began to relax offensively. Duitsman hit a couple from behind the arc, junior Grace Charpentier finished a few in the paint, freshman Addie Hansen crashed the boards with all of her might, sophomore Unesu Machiri and junior Melissa Johnson put relentless pressure on the ball, and freshman Alyssa Cervantez nailed a three-pointer of her own.
Machiri was also clutch in the fourth for the Knights, hitting 4-of-4 free throws to ice the game. She finished the night with 10 points and 5 steals.
Hansen led the team with 7 boards, while Charpentier added 6 points, and 4 rebounds.
A trip to Crismon on January 30th is the Knights' next challenge. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00pm.
-GO KNIGHTS-
