Gateway girls basketball rides defense into playoffs

By: HSSN Staff
Sunday, February 4, 2018 | 11:00 PM

The Gateway girls basketball team has taken the adage “defense wins championships” to heart.

The Gators picked up their ninth consecutive win Thursday night, 37-35 against Oakland Catholic. It was the fifth consecutive game they allowed 35 points or fewer and first in that span they allowed 30.

“Our key to success is to defend,” Gateway coach Curtis Williams said. “We put an emphasis on it, and it is working. The results are what we wanted. We are happy where we are. We have been focusing on one game at home.”

The Gators are allowing 35.2 points per game, the fewest in Class 5A.

The win against Oakland Catholic split the season series and gave the Gators sole possession of second place in Section 2-5A with a 17-3 overall record and 7-2 mark in the section. They also defeated first-place Thomas Jefferson during their winning streak but stood a game behind the Jaguars in the standings with one game left.

“Our goal is to get the best seed possible and earn some respect,” Williams said. “We won 16 games last year and were a 10 seed. We weren't even ranked in the top 10 in the WPIAL, and they took that as a slap in the face. We played some good teams this year, and hopefully that will help us going into the playoffs.”

The win against Oakland Catholic gave Gateway a perfect home record.

“We won all 11 games at home, so that was special. That is big.

“It wasn't one of our points of emphasis, but it was a good milestone to hit,” Williams said. “That was a byproduct of the defense and doing what we were supposed to do. We are happy with that.”

Senior point guard Jordan Edwards continues to lead the Gators offensively and defensively. Juniors Mary Kromka and Jenna Guido and sophomore Lexi Jackson have followed suit. The Gators also have received more contributions from their younger players off the bench, which has been part of the reason for their winning streak.

“It is the big four right now that are leading us,” Williams said. “I am happy with where we are. I am not comfortable, but we are happy. We want to remain healthy and make a deep run in the playoffs.”

Although they might have their playoff spot solidified, Williams knows there is room to improve.

“We are not where we need to be yet,” Williams added. “Our defense gives us an opportunity to win, but we have some work to do. We still need to communicate better. If we tighten things up, I will be a lot more confident.”

Drew Karpen is a freelance writer.

Tags: Gateway