Elite 8 6A Playoffs: Gilbert/Sandra Day O’Connor

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On February 21st the Lady Tigers of <strong>Gilbert </strong>traveled north on I-17 to take on the Eagles of <strong>Sandra Day O'Connor.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> The first quarter started off slow and was back and forth as the Eagles held a 9-6 lead. After exchanging a couple of buckets the 1st quarter ended with O'Connor leading 11-8. In the 2nd quarter O'Connor begins to pick up full court to mix things up some. The SDO lead grew to 16-13 before Gilbert went on a run which ended with a 3 pointer giving the Tigers a 19-18 lead at the half. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gilbert started the 3rd quarter out aggressively building a 24-20 lead but SDO would not go away. Gilbert led 37-36 heading into the 4TH quarter. Gilbert extended their lead to 44-38 but SDO goes on a run cutting the lead down to 44-42. O'Connor fought back and got the lead 50-48 with 13 seconds left. Gilbert hit a 3 pointer with 8 seconds left to give them a 51-50 lead. After a timeout O'Connor went the length of the court with a put back by [player_tooltip player_id='208709' first='Katy' last='Frost'] going in but just after the buzzer had sounded. Gilbert won the game <strong>51-50.</strong> This was one of the better games this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Here are some of the standout players from this great game. </strong><br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='205645' first='Meisha' last='Caserio'] <strong>Gilbert</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The daughter of a coach and you could see that immediately upon watching Meisha. Never seemed to get too high or low while running the show for the Tigers. Very good ball handler with a change of pace to go along with it. She has the ability to penetrate going left or right while finishing with either hand. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='138096' first='Kaitlyn' last='Elsholz'] <strong>SDO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A highly skilled combo guard who has some bounce to her game. Her athletic ability allows her to go inside and rebound among taller players and cause havoc on whoever she's guarding defensively. She has very good ball handling ability and the vision to make passes in small spaces. One of the top seniors in her class. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='598979' first='Aspen' last='McClees'] <strong>Gilbert</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This freshman guard plays well beyond her years. She has the mid range game and deep shooting ability to give defenses headaches. She's also tough enough to battle inside through contact. One of the top 2026 players in the state.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='208709' first='Katy' last='Frost'] <strong>SDO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Frost showed her entire package against Gilbert. She controlled the paint by getting good position and sealing the defenders. She even stepped out and hit a 3 to top it off. She rebounded very efficiently and kept the ball high to fend off smaller players. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='205677' first='Morgan' last='Evenson'] <strong>Gilbert</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A heady wing who plays with an extremely high IQ. She doesn't force shots or passes. The lefty has a beautiful looking jumper from the perimeter. On the defensive side she communicates with her teammates in an effort to never be caught out of position.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='205654' first='Thalia' last='Daniels'] <strong>SDO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Daniels is a versatile wing who used her strength to her advantage on both offense and defense. Her footwork is very impressive and allows her to go by the defender with ease. On defense she's not afraid to mix it up and get physical with her counterpart. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='603672' first='Audrey' last='Bhesania'] <strong>SDO</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A smart guard who can shoot it at a high rate. Despite being only a freshman she wasn't afraid to be aggressive on the offensive end. She also showed the ability to put it on the floor and go by the defender. Very smart player who will take a big step forward next year for SDO. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->