Analy ends strong campaign with 19-10 record
The Analy Lady Tigers wrapped up a great 2016-17 basketball campaign on Feb. 21 in the opening round of the North Coast Section playoffs, falling to seventh seeded Eureka, 66-51.
The Tigers finished the season with an overall record of 19-10 that included 10-2 in the Sonoma County League.
Although disappointing, the season-ending loss to the Loggers did not take away from the accomplishments of a close-knit team that combined a strong work ethic with a steely resolve to vanquish opponents.
“This was such a hard working and great group of girls,” head coach Earl Pasamonte reflected. “The season was a success. I asked the girls to be a physical and defensive team and they responded, holding opponents to 35 points a game. I conditioned them to be a fast-paced team and they were definitely that.”
Analy began the season with Sonoma Valley as defending Co-Sonoma County League champions, and nearly pulled off a repeat before settling for second place with a mark of 10-2. The Tigers got revenge in the SCL playoffs last week, defeating Healdsburg and Sonoma to capture the tournament title.
“It’s hard to beat a team three times,” Pasamonte said after beating the Dragons in the SCL tourney title game. “We made some key changes strategically and the girls executed the game plan flawlessly.”
Loggers end Tigers’ season
The 10th seeded Tigers had the tough task of a four-hour bus trip to face Eureka in Tuesday’s NCS opener, drawing a team that was both long and skilled.
“We came across a very talented Eureka team,” Pasamonte noted. “They had multiple options inside the paint that we couldn’t handle. We got into (early) foul trouble and it just didn’t allow us to play the type of defense that we like.”
Things started well enough for Analy, which used a swarming half-court trap to hold the Loggers to just six free throws in taking a 9-6 first-quarter lead. Foul trouble began to throttle the Tigers’ defense in the second period, as Eureka got untracked on a 17-4 run to open up a 23-13 halftime advantage.
The Loggers maintained the cushion for most of the third quarter before the Tigers briefly cut the deficit to seven early in the fourth. Analy could get no closer, as Eureka pulled away down the stretch to post a 68-51 victory.
Senior Sophie McFadin finished up with a team-high 16 points, including three shots from beyond the arc. Other top scorers included senior guards Kayla Cullen (9 points) and Bailey Hunter (8 points).
All League honors
The Lady Tigers garnered their share of accolades in All League voting (by coaches), as senior post player Bella Niedermair was selected as the league’s Co-Most Valuable Player. Joining her on the first-team were McFadin and Hunter, while junior Alexis Dibene was named to the Honorable Mention squad.
