(YUMA, Ariz.) Gilbert Christian battled its way out of a large first quarter deficit to overtake Yuma Catholic 32-27 on the road Saturday morning. The Knights got 15 points and four steals from sophomore Unesu Machiri in the contest. 

The Knights trailed 12-3 headed into the second period, but managed to cut the gap to 17-12 by the break. It was back-and-forth in the third, but GCHS kept fighting, to bring it within three going into the final quarter. The fourth was all Gilbert Christian, as the Knights outscored the Shamrocks 13-6 to collect the win.

"I've said many times this season that these girls are resilient," Head Coach Mark Duitsman said. "No matter what the results have been, we're always going to be intentional about our response to adversity and this game was an opportunity to draw from some of our early season experiences. We found ourselves in an early hole once again but they found a way out of it. I thought the biggest factor was that our defense and rebounding stayed constant throughout the game. Their effort in those areas kept the game in reach and gave us the opportunity to grab a late lead. The girls made it happen and I was really proud of their commitment to each other."

Freshman Lillie Duitsman posted six points in 12 minutes on 2-for-2 shooting from behind the arc. She also collected four rebounds and an assist in the affair. 

Junior Kaila Aston led the squad's rebounding effort, with seven boards. Aston also tallied five points, three blocks and two steals in the win. With three points apiece were junior Chloe Lehman and freshman Addie Hansen. The duo combined for nine of the team's 25 rebounds on the day. 

With the victory, the Knights improve to 3-2 on the season. Yuma Catholic drops to 3-3 overall. 

Sedona Red Rock (1-7) is next on the schedule for GCHS. The contest is set to be played January 9th at home (5:30pm).

-GO KNIGHTS-