GCC girls grind out section win over California

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, February 1, 2018 | 7:32 AM

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One team wanted to play fast and the other one didn't.

Though Greensburg Central Catholic wasn't able to play its style against California, the Centurions found a way to grind out a girls basketball victory in spite of it.

Anna Eisaman scored 11 points, including two free throws with 3.6 seconds left, as GCC beat the visiting Trojans, 39-36, on Wednesday night.

“Cal is never interested in shooting it out with anyone. They're interested in a low-scoring game,” GCC coach Joe Eisaman said. “They did a good job of slowing it down against us again.”

In the teams' first meeting on Dec. 21, California defeated GCC, 38-33.

“That's pretty much our goal every time out, keep the score in the 30s and 40s,” California coach Chris Minerd said. “It's tough for us to match teams when it gets beyond that.”

Neither team led by more than two points in the second half until Anna Eisaman connected on both ends of a 1-and-1 to provide the final three-point margin for GCC (9-7, 8-3).

Bella Skatell, who scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter, put GCC ahead for good on a short jumper with 33 seconds remaining, giving the Centurions a 36-35 advantage.

California (11-5, 8-3) failed to convert on its next two possessions before Skatell hit the front end of a 1-and-1 to stretch the lead to 37-35.

Bailey Vig, who led California with 15 points, also hit 1 of 2 free throws with 6.3 seconds to go to cut the Trojans' deficit back to one point before Anna Eisaman gave GCC a three-point cushion.

“I liked a lot of what I saw out there,” Joe Eisaman said. “I was happy with the looks we were getting, but a lot of our shots just weren't falling.”

Certainly not close to the rate that the Centurions shot in a victory over Serra Catholic on Saturday when they were 26 of 46 (56.5 percent), including 12 of 20 from behind the arc.

“When you're a shooting team, that's how it goes. You've got to fight through it when they're not falling,” Joe Eisaman said.

“Our defense has been looking better for the most part,” he added. “We feel we've gotten better as the season's gone along, despite some bumps along the way.”

GCC was coming off a 61-52 loss at Frazier on Monday after beating Serra, 67-45, two days earlier at home.

California, which had won six of its previous seven games, dropped to a second-place tie with GCC in Section 3-2A, one game behind Serra Catholic.

All three teams are scheduled to play Thursday night — Serra at Beth-Center and GCC and California at home, the Centurions meeting Bentworth and the Trojans facing Carmichaels.

“This is a pretty evenly-matched section,” Minerd said. “On any night, any of the top five teams can beat any of the others.”

Dave Mackall is a freelance writer.

Tags: California, Greensburg C.C.