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Gators Pull Away in the Fourth Behind Rantz’s Triple-Double

Castilleja claimed a 14-point victory over Lincoln (SF) Thursday night in the consolation semi-finals of the Dons Club Holiday Tournament at Del Mar. The Gators controlled the first half as they jumped out to an early 11-2 lead. Castilleja maintained their three-possession advantage for much of the half as they took a seven-point lead into the break. In the third frame, the Mustangs came storming back as they scored the first seven points of the half, producing the lone tie of the contest at 26. The Gators responded with a 10-0 run of their own as Lincoln did not have an answer for Castilleja’s fast break. Lincoln would close the gap to six on two occassions in the second half, but would draw no closer as the Gators responded with a bucket each time. The Gators were helped inside by junior Lauren Rantz who recorded career-highs of 12 blocks and 17 rebounds. Rantz also added a career-high tying 14 points marking just the fourth triple-double in school history. The 12 blocks in a game are second only to the record 14 held by Ericka von Kaeppler. Castilleja was led in the scoring column by senior Riya Modi who tallied a game-high 16 points to go along with a team-high five assists. With the five dishes, she passed Natasha von Kaeppler for fourth on the school’s all-time assist list. Junior Olivia Nicholls also added ten points for the victorious Gators who will play for the consolation championship against Santa Teresa on Saturday at noon.

Notes: Castilleja outscored Lincoln 15-2 on fastbreak points and 13-3 on second chance points…The Gators outrebounded the Mustangs 45-25…Castilleja’s other three triple-doubles were recorded by Eve Zelinger (2) and Ericka von Kaeppler.

Castilleja Triple-Doubles
Player               Game                           Stats
Lauren Rantz         Dec 29, 2011 vs Lincoln        14 PTS  17 REB  12 BLK
Eve Zelinger         Jan 20, 2009 vs NDSJ           19 PTS  14 REB  11 AST
Ericka von Kaeppler  Dec  1, 2007 vs Golden Sierra  25 PTS  12 REB  10 BLK
Eve Zelinger         Feb  2, 2007 at I.C.A          21 PTS  10 REB  10 AST

Gators Overcome Slow Start to Claim Tourney Finale

Castilleja rebounded from a slow start to claim a victory over Woodside in the finale of the Terra Nova Invitational Saturday afternoon. The Gators, fresh off of a heartbreaking defeat the day before, carried their struggles into today’s contest as they allowed Woodside to maintain control for much of the game. After a 9-9 tie in the first quarter, the Wildcats held a six-point lead late in the second. Junior Lauren Rantz sank a first-half buzzer-beater to close the margin to four going into the break. Midway through the third quarter, Castilleja leading-scorer Riya Modi received a bloody nose as she was guarding against the pass. With Modi forced to sit, Castilleja called on freshman Paige Vermeer to run the team. Vermeer, making her first career start, took over the contest as she scored eight of her game- and career-high 14 points in the second half. Trailing three entering the final frame, Castilleja reeled off seven straight points to take a four-point lead with five minutes remaining. Woodside answered with a pair of buckets to tie the game at 30, but would not score again in the game’s final four minutes as Castilleja forged their second 7-0 run of the quarter to end the contest. Castilleja took full advantage of Woodside’s sloppy play as the Gators forced 29 Wildcat turnovers outscoring Woodside 17-6 on points off turnovers. Vermeer, in addition to a career-game in the scoring column, recorded a career-high seven steals, while junior Lauren Rantz tallied a career-best nine blocked shots to go along with her team-highs of seven boards and four assists. The nine rejections are the fourth most by a player in school history. Castilleja will return to action on December 27 when they take on Livermore in the Dons Club Holiday Tournament at Del Mar.

Notes: Castilleja was outrebounded 20-40, the largest differential since opponents stats began being charted in the 2005-06 season…The victory is just the tenth in school history when trailing going into the fourth quarter…Castilleja snaps their 14-game losing streak when failing to score more than 15 first-half points…Vermeer’s seven steals are a school record for a player making their first career start.

Most Blocked Shots in a Calendar Week
Player                Week of        Blocks
Ericka von Kaeppler   Jan 11, 2009   29
Lauren Rantz          Dec  4, 2011   22
Ericka von Kaeppler   Nov 25, 2007   19
Natasha von Kaeppler  Dec 26, 2010   18
Natasha von Kaeppler  Nov 29, 2009   17

Most Steals Thru 8 Career Games
Player                Steals
Natasha von Kaeppler  27
Paige Vermeer         21
Stephanie Trailer     20
Eve Zelinger          19

Modi’s Career Night Not Enough to Slow Down Red Devils

Senior Riya Modi poured in a career-high 26 points Wednesday night, but it wasn’t enough as Castilleja fell to host University (SF) 53-57. The Gators and Devils would exchange leads four times in the first half, the last of which came during a 12-0 University run that bridged the 2nd and 3rd quarters. After trailing by double figures for most the second half, the Gators’ deficit grew to 13 with 5:30 remaining in the fourth. Castilleja would go on to outscore University 11-2 over the next four minutes to pull to within four with just over a minute remaining. Castilleja would draw no closer as the Devils hit their free throws down the stretch to secure their first victory against the Gators in five tries. The Gators were dominated on the boards as they only managed a season-low 21 rebounds to University’s 34. Junior Lauren Rantz led Castilleja with five rebounds while Modi led the team with five assists. Rantz also recorded a career-high seven blocks while freshman Paige Vermeer came off the bench to lead the team with a career-high six steals. Castilleja will travel to Pacifica tomorrow night to matchup against tournament host Terra Nova.

Notes: Castilleja had won its previous 45 games when scoring at least 30 points in a half…The last time Castilleja was involved in a game where both teams had 30-point 2nd halves was also the last time Castilleja visitied University in December 2009…Castilleja falls to 40-2 all-time when scoring at least 45 points over the final three periods.

Games with 25+ Points, 5+ Assists and Fewer Than 5 Turnovers
Player         Games
Eve Zelinger   4
Riya Modi      1
Nikki Perlman  1
Mika Peterman  1

McIntosh Gets 200th Win; von Kaeppler Sets Consecutive Games Mark

Head Coach Jez McIntosh celebrated his 200th career victory Thursday night after a comfortable 32-point win over visiting Crystal Springs. The Gators jumped out to a 9-0 first quarter lead as freshman Alina Brown, who was making her first career start at point guard, dished out four assists in the opening frame. Natasha von Kaeppler provided the scoring for the Gators as she tallied ten of her game-high 19 points in the first quarter. By playing in tonight’s game, von Kaeppler set a new Castilleja mark by playing in her 102nd consecutive game eclipsing the mark previously held by Nikki Perlman. Castilleja was led by senior Abby Thornburg in the second quarter as she scored six of her career-high 12 points in the second. The Gators slowly built upon their 21-point halftime advantage and coasted to a 32-point win behind three players in double figures and a hefty 48-22 rebounding advantage. Sophomore Olivia Nicholls added ten points including a pair of threes, each in the opening seconds of each half. Brown would finish with a career-high seven assists becoming the fifth different Castilleja player in five games to lead the team in assists. Senior Laura Rose led three players in double figure rebounds with a career-high 11 boards, becoming the first Castilleja reserve to pull down at least ten rebounds since December 2005. von Kaeppler added ten rebounds, three blocks and four steals becoming the first player in school history with 300 career steals. Sophomore Lauren Rantz also added ten rebounds in a addition to four assists, three blocks and a career-high tying three steals.

Notes: Castilleja outscored Crystal 25-0 on 2nd chance points despite allowing seven offensive rebounds…Castilleja’s two free throw attempts are the fewest since December 2000…The combined seven free throw attempts by both teams ties a Castilleja record for fewest attempts in a single game.

Coach McIntosh's Milestone Victories
Win#  Date     Opponent                     Score
  1   12/5/98  Convent of the Sacred Heart  51-29
 25   1/8/02   @ Valley Christian - Dublin  60-19
 50   2/18/03  Woodside Priory              53-19
100   1/7/06   Mercy Burlingame             72-36
150   12/6/08  Wood (@ Forest Lake)         65-63 (2OT)
175   12/5/09  Wood (@ Forest Lake)         59-32
200   1/20/11  Crystal Springs              56-24

Coach McIntosh’s Career Milestone Wins

Castilleja Head Coach Jez McIntosh is one victory away from accumulating 200 for his Varsity career.  Here’s a chronicle of Coach McIntosh’s prior milestone victories:

Win#  Date     Opponent                     Score
  1   12/5/98  Convent of the Sacred Heart  51-29
 25   1/8/02   @ Valley Christian - Dublin  60-19
 50   2/18/03  Woodside Priory              53-19
100   1/7/06   Mercy Burlingame             72-36
150   12/6/08  Wood (@ Forest Lake)         65-63 (2OT)
175   12/5/09  Wood (@ Forest Lake)         59-32

Gators Wrap Up Tourney with a Win Behind von Kaeppler’s Monster Game

Castilleja salvaged its trip to the Terra Nova Invitational with a 48-28 win over Westmoor Saturday afternoon. The undersized Rams used their quickness to keep pace with the Gators as the two teams exchanged leads in the first quarter. Already missing sophomore Lauren Rantz due to a sprained ankle, junior point guard Riya Modi suffered a bruised hip upon being tripped while trying to escape full-court pressure. Modi ended up missing nearly four minutes of play while the Gators added a point to their slim margin in her absence. Castilleja would gain minor separation in the second quarter thanks to Natasha von Kaeppler who scored seven points of her game-high 24 points in the second frame helping the Gators to a seven-point halftime advantage. The third quarter saw more of the same as Westmoor never allowed Castilleja to pull away entirely as the Rams entered the fourth quarter down nine. In the fourth, Castilleja would finally put the game away as they scored the first ten points in the final frame including eight from von Kaeppler who pulled down a career-high tying 19 rebounds in addition to six blocks and four steals. Senior Abby Thornburg finished with eight points, a career-high tying 13 rebounds, and three assists. Modi recovered from the bruised hip enough to pull down eight rebounds and dish out six assists while scoring seven points. Sophomore Olivia Nicholls, a game removed from her career-high 12-point performance yesterday, dished out a career-high five assists in the victory.

Notes: Natasha von Kaeppler has pulled down 65 rebounds over her last four games breaking the all-time Castilleja record for rebounds over a four-game span held by Nikki Perlman with 63…von Kaeppler’s 13.1 rebounds per game through seven games marks the latest into a season a Castilleja player has ever sported a rebounding average of at least 13 per game.

Most Rebounds by a Castilleja Player Over a Four-Game Span
65  Natasha von Kaeppler  December 7-11, 2010
63  Nikki Perlman         January 7-14, 2003
62  Nikki Perlman         January 4-11, 2003
59  Ericka von Kaeppler   December 15, 2006-January 9, 2007

Most Consecutive Games by a Castilleja Player with at Least 14 Rebounds
4  Natasha von Kaeppler  December 7-11, 2010
3  Nikki Perlman         December 20, 2003-January 10, 2004
3  Nikki Perlman         January 9-14, 2003
3  Rasika Kumar          February 4-17, 2000

Gators’ Season Ended by Two-Time Defending State Champs

Castilleja’s historic basketball season concluded Thursday night with a loss to the two-time defending state champion Branson in San Rafael. The Gators, three wins from a state championship, appeared ready for Branson, almost matching them bucket for bucket in the game’s opening minutes. Castilleja would eventually take the lead with three minutes left in the half on a three-point play from Tayo Amos (five points, three rebounds, two steals). The Gators were also bolstered by Laura Rose (six rebounds) who led the team with six first half points, all coming in the 2nd quarter. Branson answered with a 7-0 run the close out the first half with a 23-18 lead. The 3rd quarter saw the Gators go cold as Branson extended their 7-0 run to a 15-1 run with an 8-1 3rd quarter advantage. Castilleja, down 31-19 going into the 4th, was not about to quit and opened the 4th by outscoring Branson 11-4 to pull to within five with help from Natasha von Kaeppler (12 points, eight rebounds) and Eve Zelinger (10 points, eight assists [Castilleja CIF Playoff high]) who each scored eight points in the final frame. Branson held off the Gator spurt with a couple of baskets to push their lead back to nine and were able to dribble out the clock as time ran out on Castilleja and their incredible season. Senior Ericka von Kaeppler, playing in her final Castilleja game, added eight points and team highs of four steals and three blocks. Ericka finishes her high school career as Castilleja’s all-time leader in blocks (271), double-doubles (43), field goal percentage (44.3%), and free throw attempts (534).

Notes: Castilleja’s 18 4th quarter points after 1 3rd quarter point marks the largest increase from 3rd quarter to 4th quarter scoring in school history…Castilleja ties a school record by playing in their 32nd game of the season…Tonight marked the sixth straight contest in which Castilleja’s opponent came into the contest on a winning streak of seven or more games.

Opponents' Win Streaks Coming into Game
Date  Opponent         WS   Result
3/12  Branson          22   Lost 37-44
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

Castilleja Victorious in NorCal Debut

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

Gators Hold Off Mercy San Francisco for Another Senior Night Win

Castilleja won it’s ninth consecutive Senior Night and clinched 2nd place in the WBAL – Foothill Division away from visiting Mercy San Francisco Friday night. The Skippers of Mercy came ready to prove that their 30-point loss to Castilleja weeks ago was an aberration and found themselves in a nip-and-tuck game with the score tied at 24 at halftime. The Gators did all they could to pull away from Mercy, building a six point lead going into the final frame. Castilleja would eventually push the lead to nine with five minutes left, but the Skippers refused to quit. Mercy would pull to within two in the final minute aided by senior Ericka von Kaeppler (14 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks) fouling out with 2 ½ remaining, but clutch free throws from senior Laura Martinez (six points) and junior Eve Zelinger (19 points, eight assists, three steals) salvaged the game for Castilleja. Senior Natalie Vais recorded new career highs in the victory with six points, three assists, and a block.

Notes: Eve Zelinger hit her 500th career field goal in the game, joining Mika Peterman as the only other player in school history with 500 career baskets…Ericka von Kaeppler recorded her 40th career double-double while becoming the first player in school history to record 100 blocks in a single season…Sophomore Natasha von Kaeppler became the fastest player to record 500 career rebounds reaching that milestone in only 49 games…Castilleja and Mercy San Francisco scored 22 and 20 4th quarter points respectively, marking the first quarter in Castilleja School history in which both teams tallied 20 or more points.

Games Needed to Accumulate 500 Career Rebounds
Player                          Games
Natasha von Kaeppler, 2007-     49
Ericka von Kaeppler, 2005-      56
Nikki Perlman, 2001-2005        61
Eve Zelinger, 2006-             62
Lindsay Taylor, 2004-2008       74
Kate Vander Ploeg, 2001-2004    80

Eve Zelinger: Athlete of the Week

Eve Zelinger earned Athlete of the Week honors from the Palo Alto Weekly by helping Castilleja to it’s second 4-0 week in school history.  In the four victories, Zelinger totaled 80 points, 33 rebounds, 26 assists, eight steals, and six blocks, while shooting 48.5% from the floor and 42.9% on threes.  33 of those 80 points came in a victory over Liberty Christian at the Bentley Shootout, tying her own single-game school record.  Zelinger’s 26 assists is the most in a calendar week in school history.

       Most Points in a Calendar Week
Player               Week of       Games   Points
Ericka von Kaeppler  Nov 25, 2007  4       90
Eve Zelinger         Nov 30, 2008  4       87
Mika Peterman        Feb 16, 2003  4       82
Mika Peterman        Nov 30, 2003  4       81
Eve Zelinger         Feb  1, 2009  4       80
Eve Zelinger         Dec 10, 2006  4       80

       Most Assists in a Calendar Week
Player               Week of       Games   Assists
Eve Zelinger         Feb  1, 2009  4       26
Mika Peterman        Jan 26, 2003  3       22
Eve Zelinger         Nov 25, 2007  4       21
Eve Zelinger         Jan 28, 2007  3       21
Lindsay Taylor       Nov 25, 2007  4       21