Preps

Catalina rallies to stun Rincon

Having been held to three points in the third quarter and facing a 10-point deficit at the beginning of the fourth, the Catalina girls basketball team appeared to be out of gas. But playing in its second game in as many nights, the Trojans mounted a pair of fourth-quarter rallies to defeat Rincon/University 47-46 in a 4A Sonoran matchup. "I give the girls a lot of credit for the way they cowboyed up," said Catalina coach Jim Lawwill. "Most teams would've given it up, but they played their hearts out and it paid off." Despite playing with a significant size disadvantage, the Trojans managed to fluster the Rangers in the paint while creating their own shots on the offensive end. Using a 2-3 zone, Catalina denied entry passes inside and managed to put bodies on Rincon's two 6-foot-tall players. "We're not a tall team, and we fight this battle every game," Lawwill said. "We have to front the block and do everything we can to jam any movement inside. Christina Lisalda did a terrific job." After playing Catalina to a first-half tie, Rincon (10-7, 2-2) made adjustments and opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run. Catalina (7-11, 2-2) grew impatient on offense and settled for quick jump shots instead of working its game plan. If it were not for a three-point play by Teresa Roman with 1:03 left in the third, Catalina would have been shut out in the quarter. The deficit forced Catalina to play a full-court man-to-man defense, a move Lawwill would not regret. But while the Trojans climbed back into the game, Rincon did not fold either, clinging to a 45-44 lead with less than a minute remaining. That was when junior Tahnee Harvey nailed her third three-pointer of the game to give the Trojans the lead and the game. "It looked like it was going to miss, but it went in," the junior said. She led both teams with 18 points, and Roman added 12. Rincon had a final shot to win but could not convert on an inbounds play underneath its basket with five seconds left. Patricia White and Sandrine Nzeukou both had 14 points for the Rangers.