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Castilleja Victorious in NorCal Debut

March 10, 2009 on 8:51 pm | In Game Recaps, Stats | No Comments

Castilleja Basketball continued its deepest postseason journey in school history with a win in its first ever NorCal Playoff game over host Durham Tuesday night. Durham, the North Section Champions, came into the game on an 18-game winning streak having not suffered a loss since December 19. The Trojans brought the energy early, building a lead as large as six and winding up with a four-point halftime advantage as Castilleja struggled to get going on both the offensive and defensive end. Natasha von Kaeppler (10 rebounds, three assists, two steals) led the Gators at the half with nine points, finishing with 13. Castilleja didn’t get going until the third quarter by opening up the second half with six straight points to take the lead at 25-23. The Trojans would remain in the game as they went into the fourth down four. A layup in the final frame brought Durham to within two at 33-35, but the Trojans wouldn’t score again as Castilleja turned up the defensive intensity, outscoring Durham 16-0 to end the game. Eve Zelinger (eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks) sparked Castilleja in the second half by scoring all 14 of her points after intermission including 10 in the 4th quarter. Ericka von Kaeppler (eight rebounds, three assists, three steals, four blocks) also finished with a game-high 14 points, despite picking up her fourth foul in the 3rd quarter. Laura Rose scored six points for the Gators and tied a career-high with three assists while Tayo Amos added four points, two assists, and two steals in the NorCal victory. Castilleja will travel to Branson Thursday night to take on the defending State Champions in the NorCal Semi-Finals.

Notes: Castilleja has now played its last five games against opponents coming into the contest with a winning streak of seven or more…Ericka von Kaeppler joined teammates Eve Zelinger and Natasha von Kaeppler as the only trio in school history to each score 400 points in the same season. Zelinger and Natasha von Kaeppler had already become the first pair of teammates to accomplish that feat.

Castilleja's Previous Five Opponents'
Win Streaks Coming into the Game
Date  Opponent         WS   Result
3/10  Durham           18   Won  51-33
3/07  Pinewood         17   Lost 41-43
3/04  St. Francis CCC   7   Won  35-33
2/28  Anzar             9   Won  54-18
2/21  Pinewood         14   Lost 41-61