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Gators’ Season Ends In High-Scoring OT Thriller

The Gators’ season came to a conclusion Saturday afternoon at Pinewood after the Gators fell to Pacific Collegiate of Santa Cruz in the highest scoring game in Castilleja School history. The Gators dominated the contest early as junior Olivia Nicholls tallied eight points in the opening frame, staking the Gators to an eight-point advantage after one. Pacific Collegiate could not be stopped in the second as they scored a Castilleja opponent season-high 27 second quarter points to take a four-point cushion into the break. The Pumas would push their lead to nine in the third prior to a 10-2 Castilleja run to pull to within one. The Gators would eventually tie the game on a Nicholls three and then again on a pair of free throws from freshman Paige Vermeer before taking the lead on a Nicholls runner. The junior tallied ten of her career-high and school CCS record 28 points in the third frame as the Gators took a four-point edge into the fourth. Castilleja built their lead up to 12 with about six minutes remaining in regulation as Nicholls found freshman Yasmeen Afifi for a layup. With their 13-game winning streak and season on the line, Pacific Collegiate answered with a 13-1 run to tie the game with just over a minute left. After Nicholls split a pair a free throws to go up one, Castilleja called a timeout it did not have. The Gators were then hit with a technical for excessive timeouts and then another technical for their reaction to the call as the officials failed to notify Head Coach Jez McIntosh that he was out of stoppages. The Pumas hit three of the four technical free throws to give them a two-point lead and the ball. Castilleja came up with a defensive stop and would again tie the game on a pair of Vermeer free throws. After coming up with another defensive stop, Vermeer once again drew a foul and split free throws to give the Gators a one-point lead with 26 seconds remaining. Castilleja was unable to come up with a third consecutive stop as they fouled sophomore standout Morgan Green with 15 seconds left. Green calmly sank both free throws giving the Pumas the one-point edge. Out of timeouts, the Gators moved the ball up the court. Freshman Madelyn Tarr attempted to throw a pass from halfcourt, but the ball ended up being deflected up in the air by a Puma defender. Tarr raced over to collect the loose ball just inside the three-point arc, set herself and was able to draw a shooting foul with no time remaining on the clock. Tarr stood alone at the line as she rimmed out the first attempt. With the team’s season now riding her shoulders, the freshman sank the final attempt to force a four minute overtime, the first in Castilleja CCS history. Pacific Collegiate went on to dominate the extra period as they scored the first nine points to earn their first ever CCS victory in six tries. The Pumas were led by Green who set a Castilleja opponent record with 43 points, breaking the record of 38 held by Sebnem Kimyacioglu. Afifi joined Nicholls and Green in the record books by pulling down a school-record 25 rebounds to go along with 16 points. The record for rebounds in a game by a Gator had been 23 by Ericka von Kaeppler. Afifi also pulled down career-highs of 12 and 13 offensive and defensive rebounds respectively. The 12 offensive boards ties an all-time school record also held by Ericka while Afifi joins Natasha von Kaeppler as the only players to pull down at least ten boards on both sides of the court. Vermeer added 14 points including a career-high 10/12 from the line. Vermeer also had a team-high six assists while Nicholls dished five making her the third player in school history with at least 28 and five in a game. Junior Lauren Rantz added eight points and nine rebounds as well as a team-high two blocks. The two rejections gives her 123 for the season, just one shy of the school record held by Ericka von Kaeppler. The junior did, however, establish a new school record by averaging 4.73 blocks per contest, shattering the record of 3.88 set by Ericka the season she had 124.

Notes: All-time Castilleja record 156 combined points…First loss in school history when scoring at least 65 points…Castilleja had won its previous 40 games when scoring at least 15 in each of the first two quarters…Third time in school history scoring at least 15 in each quarter…Castilleja’s first time scoring at least 70 since the 2008 CCS Playoffs against Sacred Heart Prep…Castilleja falls to 46-4 all-time when scoring at least 60.

Poor Shooting Night Leads to Early Playoff Exit for Gators

Castilleja had their eight-game winning streak over The King’s Academy snapped Monday night as the Gators failed to make it a clean season-sweep of the visiting Knights. King’s jumped out to an early 8-2 lead and had Castilleja playing catch-up the entire first half. The Gators finally overtook the Knights in the final minute of the third on an Oliva Nicholls jumper and held a five-point edge in the early stages of the fourth. King’s would answer Castilleja’s 9-0 run with an 11-0 burst of their own, highlighted by a three-point shot to beat the shot clock buzzer and tie the game. The Knight’s would hit their free throws down the stretch to withstand a late Nicholls three. The Gators were led by freshman Paige Vermeer who scored a team-high 10 points including a pair of treys. Nicholls and fellow junior Lauren Rantz each tallied eight in the loss. Rantz led the Gators with a career-high 19 rebounds including a career-high 15 on the defensive end to become the fifth player in school history to amass 600 career boards. Rantz also passed Eve Zelinger for third on the all-time blocked shots list with four rejections. Freshman Cameron Hill also had a career rebounding night with highs of nine boards and seven on the offensive glass.

Notes: Marks the first time Castilleja has ever lost their lone league playoff game…The King’s Academy’s 31 free throw attempts are the most ever by a Castilleja opponent at the new Joan Z. Lonergan Center…Castilleja’s first ever loss in 46 games when allowing fewer than five points in the third quarter and leading after three.

Rantz Three Delivers Championship for Castilleja

Junior Lauren Rantz buried a three-pointer with three seconds left to complete the largest comeback in Castilleja School history and give the Gators their fourth league championship in nine seasons. Castilleja trailed by as many as 19 in the first half as they managed a season-low seven points over the first two frames. Castilleja stormed out of the gate in the second half as they outscored the Crusaders 12-3 to open the third, led by junior Olivia Nicholls who tallied seven of her 11 points in the period. Trailing by seven entering the fourth, the Gators continued to make up ground before tying the score at 38 with five minutes left to play. Mercy would score a pair of buckets to push their lead back to four, however the Gators answered with a bucket and a three from freshman Paige Vermeer to give the Gators their first lead with 1:40 remaining. Mercy then split a pair of free throws to re-tie the game before Rantz hit a layup to put the Gators up two with 40 seconds left. After coming up with a quick defensive stop, the Gators failed to extend their lead and ended up fouling Mercy on a loose ball. Mercy would knock down both free throws to once again tie the game with 26 seconds left. Out of time outs, the Gators wisely dribbled down the clock to ensure the final shot of the contest. Freshman Yasmeen Afifi then found Lauren Rantz at the top of the key as she caught, turned and drilled the third three-point field goal of her career. Mercy called their final timeout with three seconds remaining, but were unable to get off a game-tying attempt as Vermeer disrupted the inbounds pass long enough for the clock to expire. The Gators were led by Rantz who scored a game-high 15 points, 13 coming in the second half. Rantz also collected team-highs of 11 rebounds and seven blocks. Vermeer and Nicholls added 12 and 11 respectively, all coming after halftime while Afifi led Castilleja with a career-high four dishes to go along with eight boards. With the victory, the Gators assure themselves of moving back to the Foothill Division of the WBAL next season as well as home-court for the league playoffs play-in game on Monday. Castilleja will host the loser of the Harker and The King’s Academy season finale tomorrow evening.

Notes: Gators shot 54% in the second half and committed only one turnover…Third time Castilleja has ever posted 20-plus points in each of the third and fourth quarter…Marks the first time in school history Castilleja scored at least three-times as many points in the third quarter as they did in the entire first half…Castilleja has won its last 17 games against Mercy Burlingame…Castilleja’s 41 second half points are a season-high for either half.

Late Run & Perimeter Shooting Lead Gators Past Knights

Castilleja remained in control of its own destiny by claiming a 15-point win at The King’s Academy Tuesday night. The Gators built an early seven-point lead as junior Olivia Nicholls tallied six of her 12 points in the opening frame. Castilleja would struggle in the second quarter as they managed only four points and took a two-point edge into the break. The third quarter would see both teams wake up offensively as the two teams combined for six three-point field goals. The Knights briefly took a one-point advantage with 2 1/2 left in the third, however the Gators answered with a 14-0 run to put the contest out of reach. Freshman Madelyn Tarr scored 11 of her game- and career-high 16 points in the second half as she knocked down a career-high four three-pointers helping the Gators to shoot a season-high 50% from downtown. Freshman Paige Vermeer led the team with a career-high seven assists to go along with seven points and three steals. Junior Lauren Rantz grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds while freshman Yasmeen Afifi pulled down 12. The Gators can win the Skyline Division Championship outright with a victory Thursday at Mercy Burlingame.

Gators Fall Against State’s Top D-5 Squad

The Gators fell to D-5 powerhouse Brookside Christian Saturday afternoon at the Bentley Shootout. The Knights came into the contest as the #1 ranked Division V school in California in addition to a seven-game winning streak. Castilleja played near even with Brookside through the first ten minutes of game as they trailed 12-17 early in the second. The Knights then reeled off ten straight points to open up a 15-point advantage which they carried into halftime. Brookside would put the game out of reach in the third as they held the Gators to a season-low four third-quarter points. The Gators were led in the scoring column by freshman Yasmeen Afifi for the third straight game. The center tallied 13 points as well as a team-high eight rebounds. Junior Lauren Rantz also collected a team-high eight rebounds as the tandem also each accounted for a pair of rejections. Sophomore Emily Richardson led Castilleja with a career-high four assists to go along with nine points off the bench. Junior Olivia Nicholls scored the game’s opening basket to become the 13th player in school history to reach the 400-point plateau.

Notes: The loss is Castilleja’s first in their four trips to the Bentley Shootout…Castilleja falls to 0-28 all-time when failing to score more than 30 points; 14 field goals ties record for most in such games.

Gators Honor Modi; Clinch WBAL Playoff Berth

Castilleja clinched a WBAL Playoff berth with a convincing win over visiting I.C.A Friday on Senior Night. The Gators honored lone senior Riya Modi by placing the guard on the floor for the start and end of the contest as she otherwise remains sidelined with a knee injury. Castilleja put the game out of reach early outscoring the Spartans 22-0 to start the contest. Freshman Yasmeen Afifi hit her first six shots from the field as she tallied 12 of her game- and career-high 18 points in the opening frame. Afifi added a team-high eight rebounds while recording a career-high-tying three rejections. Junior Lauren Rantz added ten points in addition to team-highs of eight boards and four blocks. Freshman Paige Vermeer dished out a team-high four assists while the Gators tied an all-time record by allowing only two first half points.

Notes: Castilleja has won 11 of its last 12 senior nights

Gators Relinquish Late Lead After Erasing Double-Digit Deficit

Castilleja fell to the visiting Harker Eagles Tuesday night despite overcoming a 13-point first-half deficit.  Trailing by 12 late in the third quarter, the Gators would outscore Harker 17-3 to take a 44-42 lead.  The Eagles tied the game on a layup and had the ball in the final seconds with a chance to win.  While winding down the clock, guard Daniza Rodriguez appeared as though to commit a backcourt violation as she stutter-dribbled over and back the midcourt line. The junior, however, wasn’t whistled for the infraction and went on to score the final three of her game-high 24 points via a layup plus the free throw to give Harker a 47-44 advantage.  Down three with four seconds left, the Gators went the length of the floor, but their overtime-forcing three wouldn’t fall.  Castilleja was led by freshman Yasmeen Afifi who recorded her fourth career double-double with a career-high 15 points and 10 boards.  Junior Lauren Rantz recorded her ninth career double-double with ten points and a team-high 12 rebounds.  Rantz also became the 12th player in school history to reach the 400 career-point plateau and recorded seven rejections to become the second player in school history to amass 100 blocked shots in a single season.  Junior Olivia Nicholls led the team with a career-high seven assists, besting the prior career-high six dishes she handed out on Friday.  Freshman Paige Vermeer added 11 points, five steals and four assists to go along with a career-high three treys.

Notes: The loss snaps Castilleja’s 29-game home winning streak over current WBAL – Skyline teams.  Their last such loss was in January 2001…Castilleja falls to 54-5 since 2003-04 when having at least three players score in double-figures.

Gators Cruise to Victory Thanks to Early Run

Castilleja remained in first place in the WBAL Skyline Division with a road win over Crystal Springs Friday night. The Gators opened up the game by going a 23-0 run early in the contest, then exchanged buckets the rest of the way while shooting a season-high 47% from the field. Castilleja was led by junior Olivia Nicholls who tied a career high 17 points while establishing a new career-high with a team-leading six assists. Freshman Yasmeen Afifi also tied a career-high with 14 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Junior Lauren Rantz also recorded a double-double with a team-high 15 boards and 13 points. Rantz also recorded a team-high eight rejections and surpassed Lindsay Taylor for fifth on the school’s all-time rebounding list. Freshman Paige Vermeer added seven points and seven steals while freshman Madelyn Tarr tallied career-highs of eight points and four assists.

Gators Hold Off Knights; Take Sole Possession of 1st Place

Castilleja took sole possession of first place with a win over visiting King’s Academy Tuesday night. The Knights, which led briefly in the final period, had two cracks at tying the contest in the final seconds, but neither three-point attempt would fall. After banking in a three with two minutes left to cut the Gator lead to three, The King’s Academy failed to score again as Castilleja hung on for the victory. The Gators were led by junior Lauren Rantz who scored 12 points to go along with 13 rebounds and five blocks. Freshman Madelyn Tarr led the team with a career-high three assists in addition to a career high 11 boards. Freshman Yasmeen Afifi chipped in ten points while swatting a career-high-tying three blocks. Castilleja shot just 22% from the field, marking the second lowest field goal percentage in a win in school history. The Gators were also without the services of point guard and leading scorer Riya Modi who was scratched due to an injured knee. With the lone senior sidelined, Castilleja played only the second game in school history without a senior.

Notes: Castilleja had dropped their previous four games decided by three points or fewer with their last victory coming in December 2010…The Gators improve to 51-1 all-time at Castilleja when holding opponents under 35 points.

Balanced Attack Leads St. Francis Past Castilleja

Castilleja suffered a non-league defeat Saturday afternoon to visiting St. Francis. The Lancers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before Castilleja answered back with their own 7-0 burst to tie the game. St. Francis would control the remainder of the contest outscoring the Gators 29-6 to close out the first half. Castilleja was dealt an early blow as leading scorer Riya Modi was forced to leave the game with an injury after just six minutes. Freshman Paige Vermeer took over point guard duties for the Gators as she tallied team-highs of three assists, five points and four steals. Junior Olivia Nicholls also added a team-high five points as Castilleja only managed a season-low 23 points. Junior Lauren Rantz led the Gators with six rebounds and three blocks. The Lancers featured a balanced scoring attack as three players led St. Francis with game-highs of nine points. The 81 combined points are the most in Castilleja history in which neither team had a player scoring in double-figures.