Tigers suffer loss against Patriots
Lack of size proved to be difference in clash of former Division III rivals
WARWICK – Tolman High head coach Walter (“Bunky”) Gonzalez discovered Sunday that his tall sophomore center, Victoria Percy, would be unavailable to play in the Tigers’ Division II clash against Pilgrim on Monday night.
Percy, who stands at least 64, allowed her mandatory physical to expire, and Gonzalez explained she would have played a key role against the Patriots’ big front line of senior Crystal Armstrong, classmate Kat Raposo and sophomore Caitlyn Fallon.
Despite a stellar comeback in the early minutes of the final stanza, Tolman ultimately dropped a 57-48 decision, and fell to 1-1 in league action (33 overall) as a result.
“If we had Victoria in there, it would’ve helped immensely,” Gonzalez sighed inside the Warwick Vets gymnasium, as the contest had been moved due to a site issue at Pilgrim.
“Her presence, I think, would have negated their size.”
Raposo closed with a game-high 16 points, while Fallon drained 12, Mackenzie Hough eight and Armstrong and senior Mary Mullane six each as the Pats improved to 1-1 in league action and 3-1 overall.
For the Tigers, junior Lexi Parillo a whopping canned five treys en route to a teamhigh 15 points, while sophomore guard Julia Al-Amir net- ted 12, senior tri-captain Destiny Moore nine and junior tri-captain Ally Larson eight, though Larson contributed 11 rebounds, five steals and four blocks.
Freshman Deanna Dent, who notched just two points, added 10 boards; Parillo five rebounds; and sophomore Laura German (who didn’t score) five thefts.
With Tolman trailing, 3224, at the start of the second half, the Patriots needed just 4:44 to assemble a 12-1 run, surging to a 44-25 advantage with 11:16 left in regulation. At that point, during a 60second timeout, he told his troops to run what is known in hoop parlance a “suicide drill,” as he thought they were lacking hustle.
“I did that because of a lack of intensity,” he stated. “At halftime, I asked them to focus on defense to be more aggressive, not allow (the opponents’ center and forwards) to push them around. They went on the run, and – at one point – we allowed them five opportunities to score because of all those offensive rebounds.”
Gonzalez admitted the move paid dividends, and he was proud of the way his girls fought back. Behind by that 44-25 score, Parillo drained a three-point bomb, then another after a Moore free throw, and Moore hit two more, the last with 7:30 remaining as the Tigers sliced the deficit to 49-42.
Over the final 6:23, however, Armstrong landed a putback, Fallon an eight-footer and Raposo a layin off a steal with 5:04 left to lift the “hosts” to a 57-42 cushion.
In the end, Tolman never could recover, despite the fact that – between the 13minute mark of the first stanza and the end – the Tigers made just 19 turnovers, and Pilgrim 29.
“We play team basketball, so I don’t worry about statistics,” offered Pats’ mentor Scott Bayha. “I thought Crystal and Kate led the team in rebounds, and did a nice job of controlling the boards. Obviously, our bigs took advantage throughout the game. We scored some easy and tough baskets down low, and that was the key.”