Eagle Shooting Down Bluebirds
Goessel Girls Varsity Basketball January 21, 2020 Canton Galva Eagles @ Goessel
Canton-Galva used eight incredible threes from four different shooters on Tuesday night at Goessel to keep a very persistent and solid Bluebird effort at bay. Goessel used a page from the Kansas City Chiefs playbook, spotting the Eagles 8-15 before putting on a huge 11-4 2nd quarter to knot 19-19 at the half. Three Bluebird players were perfect from the foul line tonight, but the home-standing Blue could not keep their high energy woman to woman tuned up in the 2nd half and the visitors pulled away in the 3rd quarter and closed the well-played contest at 36-45.
Goessel started in woman to woman and stayed in that posture nearly the entire night. Canton-Galva threw up a bit of front court pressure every now and then but stayed put in a solid zone for the duration of the game. The Eagles showed extreme from beyond the arc, hitting nearly everything they put up. Mastre, Moddelmog, Klatt and Bell all hit three pointers and the Eagles launched three successfully in the first quarter. Bethany Herrel scored first for Goessel with a nice catch and turn in the paint. At 4:25, Liz Alderfer went to the bank to stay at 4-5, then the Bluebirds held firm on D for a 5 second call. The Eagles were just a shade more aggressive on their box outs and rebounding position, catching several boards for easy put-backs. On a nifty inbounds set, Emily Flaming slalomed one off the glass to keep it at 8-12 and the quarter ended 8-15 on a Klatt trey.
Flaming found pay-dirt to start the 2nd with a great inside move and Goessel was looking dazzling with hustle, anticipation and block-outs underneath. Stifling defense kept the penetrating Eagle point guards out of the lane. Flaming put up two more off a quick put-back of a Lizzie Schmucker trey miss and at 3:00 Schmucker found the range from the roof of the Frito-Lay truck parked in the Junior parking lot. 15-19. Moments later, Herrel cut off a passing lane, kept going and converted the layup to inch to 17-19. Porclein Unruh was called for her 3rd and had to sit. The Eagles could not find the range from the charity stripe in the 1st half, going 1 for 7, while the home Bluebirds went 2 for 3, including Herrel burying 2 in a 1-1 with :31 left to knot at 19-19 at halftime. Coach Hoopes used his entire bench tonight, with the team still recovering from the effects of the massive area-wide influenza hit.
Goessel’s exuberant cheer team led the home fans as everyone on the east side had hopes for a great 2nd half performance to match the 1st. Klatt bombed one from the Santa Fe Trail marker near Canton, but Riley Graber promptly answered to stay at 21-22. Moments later, the Freshman, who started tonight, launched one from right at the arc and caught nothing but net to lead 23-22, Goessel’s only lead of the night. Down the floor the other way, Bell somehow was left unguarded twice in succession and swooshed two from long range to lead 23-28. Timeout Goessel 3:03. Lizzie gave the home fans hope with one from just beyond the footbridge across from Keith’s, 26-28, but the Eagles continued hammering, throwing it up and getting the board, until it went in.
In the 4th, Liz Alderfer caught one on the perimeter, set and delivered a smooth as silk trey and made it look like “hey I do this all time, no big deal.” 29-36. Concerned, the Eagles called time at 5:01. Down the floor Moddelmog caught a piece of Schmucker’s shooting arm way outside on the trey attempt and Lizzie went to the line and coolly massaged all three charities. Moments later Alderfer went to the line in a 1-1 and had a chance to draw within 3, but got just the front end 33-37. Two charities at the other end left it at 33-39 and Goessel was now out of its offensive rhythm. The Eagles had found the “penetrate and get fouled” offense and hit 7 of 8 charities at the end to seal this one. Unruh fouled out on a very questionable call in front of the Bluebird bench that drew the ire of nearly everyone on the bench and east of the Bluebird at center court. Flaming scored on a push down under +1 to leave it at 36-43 and the game ended at 36-45. The Lady Bluebirds put up a tremendous effort against a taller, bigger team. Without the Eagle outside shooting exhibition tonight, Goessel would have been very much in this one. Emily Flaming and Lizzie Schmucker each put up 9, Liz Alderfer had 8, Bethany Herrel 6 and Riley Graber scored 4 for the Bluebirds. Tia Moddelmog led all scorers with 12. Also playing for Goessel tonight were Spurlin, Unruh, Guhr, Boden, McCombs and Zogleman. -Karl Brubaker