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Geibel girls top Mapletown, ending 27-game skid
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By Jason Black
Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2012, 10:08 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Entering Tuesday's game, the Geibel girls basketball program had lost 27 games in a row dating back to February 2011.
But the streak is no more as the Gators beat visiting Mapletown, 54-17, in a nonsection game.
It was the first win for Shawn Holup, who took over as Geibel's coach prior to last season.
After falling behind by a basket early, the Gators went on a 25-0 run that put them in control.
Senior Peyton McIntyre led Geibel with 19 points. She scored the Gators' first six points.
“We always seem to start slow,” Holup said. “But when Peyton is on, she is a tremendous shooter, and we go to her.”
McIntyre was a part of last season's winless team, so a victory early in this season is particularly gratifying.
“It's definitely a different feeling,” McIntyre said. “But we'll be back to work (Wednesday), and maybe, we'll get on a little roll. It feels good to get the win.”
The Gators built a big lead largely because of their defensive pressure. Geibel forced Mapletown into turnovers, which gave the Gators a lot of extra possessions. Geibel then converted those extra chances into points.
“Probably the biggest thing was our defense,” Holup said. “Our offense has to come from our defense, and it did.”
McIntyre and Karly Judy were instrumental in forcing the Maples into turnovers.
“I thought Karly Judy was tremendous in our 1-3-1 (defense),” Holup said.
Judy also was effective offensively as she made five baskets for 10 points. Haley Hutchinson also knocked down five shots, including a 3-pointer for an 11-point game.
Abby Shipley, Rachel Buchtan and Renee Dingle each scored four points to lead the Maples (0-3).
For the Gators, breaking the long run of losses was great, but the focus is quickly shifting to the next set of games, beginning with Thursday's game at Jefferson-Morgan.
“We feel like in the next several games, we have a good shot to win, and this was a great experience for them,” Holup said.
“We're still a very young team, and this is great for their confidence. We needed this.”
Jason Black is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at jblack@tribweb.com or 724-626-3534.
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