Buzzer-beater sparks a 3-game winning streak

GILMAN GIRLS BASKETBALL

The Gilman girls basketball team was 2.7 seconds away from an 0-3 start a little over a week ago. Now the Pirates are riding a three-game winning streak as they head into their first tough stretch of Eastern Cloverbelt Conference play.

Win number three came in convincing fashion Tuesday when the Pirates took care of visiting Greenwood 60-36 to improve to 2-1 in league play and 3-2 overall. The outcome was never in serious doubt as the Pirates jumped ahead quickly and then buried the Indians (0-2, 1-4) with a 17-1 run that put them ahead by 20 with six minutes still left in the first quarter. The lead didn’t get under 18 the rest of the way.

“We played our pace and the girls did well,” head coach Tammy Weir said.

The Indians started out defensively in a box and one to try to keep Gilman’s senior post Tatum Weir contained and it worked to some extent early. But the Pirates got some early baskets off rebounds and Weir also made Greenwood pay with a top-of-the-key 3-pointer that opened up a 14-5 lead. The Indians switched to a 2-3 zone and Gilman made them pay for that with 3s from Kayleigh James and Danielle Mann. Ava Warner hit a jumper off an Allie Olynick rebound and Weir hit a pull-up jumper that capped the early decisive run and gave Gilman a commanding 26-6 lead. The Pirates led 32-10 at the half.

“They started with a box and one to double- team Tatum, but then they switched to a zone and tried man-to-man a couple of times down the court, but we dominated on the inside,” coach Weir said.

A 14-2 surge to start the second half extended the lead to 46-14 and that lead eventually got as high as 36 before Greenwood made a dent in it by pressuring Gilman’s reserves in the last two minutes.

Weir wound up collecting her first triple- double of the season with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. Weir made nine of 15 shots overall from the field, including a couple of 3s. Mann got her third double-double in a row with 21 points, 10 re bounds, five assists and a block. She was four of seven from 3-point range and seven of 13 from the field overall.

James had a solid outing with six points, three rebounds and two assists, while Warner added five points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Olynick got the start in place of injured Claire Drier and had three points, nine rebounds, two assists and a steal. Aubrey Steinbach added a late transition hoop.

Things get much more difficult for Gilman Friday when the Pirates visit perennial Eastern Cloverbelt Conference power Neillsville in a game set to tip at 7:15 p.m. The Pirates could get tested by the visiting Colby Hornets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Gilman 63, Cornell 36

Monday became a night for stat-building for the Pirates, who had three players collect double-doubles as the team dominated visiting Cornell in the paint in a 63-36 non-conference win.

The Chiefs had no answer for Tatum Weir, who set career highs with 29 points and 22 rebounds while adding seven blocked shots and six assists, which also ranked among her personal bests. Mann caught fire in the second half and finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot.

Drier got her first double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Gilman made 49.1% of its two-point shots (26 for 53) and while the Pirates struggled from 3-point range, making just one of 14, they were often there to clean up the rebounds, getting 21 of their 53 rebounds on the offensive end and scoring a good chunk of their points on putbacks. The Pirates held a 53-30 rebounding edge and limited Cornell to just 11 field goals overall on 56 attempts (19.6%).

“We started out strong, but then got caught into Cornell’s slower-paced game finishing up the first half,” Tammy Weir said. “After halftime we set the pace and ran the game, took charge and finished strong. We kept our turnovers lower at 16. It’s still not where we want to be, but better than the first few games. Our field goal percentage was spot on at 49.1% and with 53 rebounds and 17 of out 27 made shots coming off of assists, I am very proud of how the girls held it together and finished strong.”

Gilman’s fast start put it ahead 16-4 and 23-7 but Cornell had the better of it in the last seven minutes of the half to close within 31-21 at the break. Kelsea Popp led Cornell’s charge by scoring 10 of her 12 points in the half.

But the Chiefs weren’t in the game much longer after halftime as the Pirates went on a 25-7 tear to build a 5628 lead. Drier got the first bucket off a Weir assist, then Weir went on a personal six-point run. Mann hit a highpost jumper, then scored twice off Weir assists, one of which resulted in a three-point play that opened up a 46-27 lead. Mann then hit a jumper to push the lead to 21.

Scores by Mann and Weir finished that run. Olynick had a late score for Gilman and Warner added a second-half free throw to account for the rest of the scoring. Olynick had three steals. Warner had three rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and a steal. James had three assists and Jaylyn Orth had two rebounds.

Gilman 56, Loyal 55

The Pirates got their first win of the season in thrilling fashion on Nov. 22 with Mann hitting a short baseline shot at the buzzer off Olynick’s inbound pass to defeat Loyal 56-55 in an Eastern Cloverbelt battle that was tight from wire to wire.

“The girls played great,” coach Weir said. “It was a fun one and a very exciting finish with Allie’s assist to Danielle for the winning basket.”

Gilman got out to early leads of 9-2 and 17-8, but Loyal came storming back and led 29-26 at halftime lead. In the entire second half, neither team held more than a one-possession lead except for one brief moment. Loyal had several three-point leads early in the half. Gilman nudged ahead 38-35 with a 6-0 spurt capped by a threepoint play from Tatum Weir off a long lob assist from Warner. The Pirates opened up a 51-47 lead with 4:19 to go on Mann’s offensive putback off a missed free throw by Weir, but Loyal’s Alyssia Zvolena answered with two free throws five seconds later and Anna Lindner hit two more with 3:24 left to tie it.

Drier hit a cutting Weir for a bucket with 2:10 left to give Gilman the lead back and Drier hit one of two free throws with 1:27 left for a 54-51 lead. Gilman got a stop but turned the ball over with 49 seconds left and that gave Zvolena a shot at two free throws 12 seconds later. She made one. Another turnover led to a Lindner’s free throw with 26.3 seconds left and Zvolena’s steal and layup with 22 seconds left put the Greyhounds ahead 5554.

The Pirates finally broke Loyal’s full-court pressure and got the ball to Weir, who missed on a baseline reverse layup attempt, but she tied up a Loyal rebounder with 2.7 seconds left and, fortunately for the Pirates, the possession arrow pointed their way.

Tammy Weir called for a basic box inbound set where Tatum set a screen at the high post and rolled toward the right block, while Mann cut across from right to left and was stationed at the left block. Loyal defended it well, but Olynick got her bounce pass to Mann who, with a hand in her face, got off a shot that hit high off the glass, rolled around the rim and dropped through as time expired.

Weir scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the win. She added four assists, three steals and a blocked shot. Mann’s game-winner capped a big night where she scored 23 points, tying her career high which, coincidentally, was set in a game against Gilman last year when she played for Rib Lake. She had 10 rebounds to complete a double-double.

Drier had three points, seven assists and four steals. Olynick got her first bucket to go with three assists and a steal. Warner had two assists.

Zvolena led three Greyhounds in double figures with 15 points. Addysen Wolf scored 12, all in the first half, and Sheila Tellock added 11. Loyal fell to 0-3 at the time.

Danielle Mann