Holy Family basketball eliminated by Chadwick

Basketball: Gaels' season concludes with 62-23 first-round loss.

February 20, 2014|By Michael Shaked, Special to the Glendale News-Press

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA — Trailing by 33 points at halftime, coach Ernest Siy knew his Holy Family girls’ basketball team was not playing to extend its season. Perhaps that’s why he displayed a positive tone after losing, 63-23, to Chadwick in the opening round of the CIF Southern Section Division 5-AA playoffs and ending the season with a 7-18 record.

“I wrote one word on the grease board, ‘Pride,’” Siy said of the halftime message he gave his players. “I said listen, you guys are cementing your reputation right now. How do you want to be remembered? How do you want Chadwick to perceive Holy Family? It's completely up to you guys.”

Though the final result remained lopsided in favor of the Dolphins, Holy Family came out in the third quarter with renewed determination as if the game were just tipping off. By the time the final buzzer sounded on the Gaels’ season they had allowed the lead to grow only by 10.

Junior Charisse Talaro, who finished with a team-high nine points, drained jumpers on the Gaels’ first two possessions of the half. Then, Tabitha Ruiz hit a three-pointer to help the team match its total number of field goals from the entire first half in just three and a half minutes. Aia Intrepido’s layup with three minutes left in the third quarter gave Holy Family nine points in the period after scoring eight in the first half.

“The first few minutes of the second half they came out and played with some fire, some urgency and intensity, and they did great. I'm proud of them,” Siy said.

Adversity was the name of the game for the Gaels. Chadwick sports four players in the rotation taller than the Gaels’ tallest player. And Chadwick used that height to repeatedly dominate the glass and score second- and third-chance points.

As if height weren’t enough, Holy Family, which normally plays its home games at Pacific Park Community Center, had a scheduling conflict and was forced to surrender home court to Chadwick.

“The venue was not an excuse,” Siy said.

The Dolphins kept their own feet on the proverbial gas pedal, answering every Holy Family bucket with one or two of their own as they pushed the lead to 38 at the end of the third quarter.

1 | 2 | Next

|

|

|