Geneseo girls take home third

The Geneseo High School girls’ basketball team placed third in this past week’s Dixon Holiday Tournament as the squad went 3-1.

Geneseo vs. Rochelle

The Lady Leafs earned a third-place finish in the Dixon?Holiday Tournament Dec. 30 with a 54-51 win over Rochelle.

It was a close contest through most of the game with neither team letting the other gain too much ground.

“I am incredibly pleased how we bounced back (after the Boylan loss),” said head coach Steve Brucher. “I was a little worried, but that is one of the strengths of this group, they continue to bounce back.”

Geneseo took a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter, 13-12 and then went up 23-20 at the half. Geneseo scored 10 points to Rochelle’s eight in the second quarter.

Rochelle came back within two in the third quarter, 34-32 after outscoring the Lady Leafs by one, 12-11. Geneseo posted 20 points to Rochelle’s 19 in the fourth to nab the three-point victory.

The leading scorer for the Lady Leafs was Keatyn DeGrave, posting 18 points, knocking down one shot from beyond the arc, seven field goals and a free throw.

Allison?Wiese added 11 points on three field goals and five free throws, while Devan Griffin scored eight on four shots from the field.

Jena Rice finished with five points on two field goals and a free throw, followed by Maggie?Bergeson, Kaci Storm and Allie Hudson all with four points, each with two field goals. Megan Ficken ended the game with two points on a field goal.

Geneseo vs. Rockford Boylan

In the semifinals Dec. 30, Rockford Boylan proved to be too much for Geneseo as Boylan took the match, 78-33.

“In the Boylan game, I think it was a combination of factors and the biggest thing was Boylan shot the ball well,” said Brucher. “They hit 11 3s against us and when you shoot the ball that well you are going to win a lot of basketball games.”

Boylan jumped out to a quick start as the team posted 22 points and held Geneseo to six in the opening quarter. Boylan knocked down another 29 points in the second quarter, while Geneseo scored 12 for a 51-18 score at the half.

In the third quarter, Boylan continued its hot shooting, scoring 22 points, while Geneseo finished with seven for a 73-25 score. Both squads were held to single digits in the final minutes as Geneseo scored eight points to Boylan’s five for the final score.

Ficken drained two shots from beyond the arc and a field goal for her eight points of the game and to pace the Lady Leafs.

Griffin added six on three field goals, while Natalie Witter, DeGrave and Rice all finished with four — Witter went 2-for-2 from the line and hit a field goal; DeGrave knocked down a free throw and a three pointer and Rice scored on two field goals.

Kelsey Burress finished the game with three points on a field goal and a free throw, while Nicole Adams scored two points on a field goal and Wiese and Hudson each went 1-for-2 from the foul line for their lone points of the game.

Geneseo vs. LaSalle-Peru

Geneseo squared off against NCIC foe LaSalle-Peru Dec. 29 in the second round of the Dixon Holiday Tournament and the Lady Leafs prevailed with a 35-29 victory.

At the end of the first quarter, LP led, 8-7, but the Lady Leafs came back in the second to take the lead, 17-13 at halftime. Geneseo scored 10 points to LP’s five in the second quarter.

After the break, Geneseo scored eight points in the third quarter, while LP added six for a 25-19 score in favor of the Lady Leafs. Both teams posted 10 points in the fourth to give Geneseo the 35-29 win.

Rice led the way for Geneseo with 11 points as she hit five shots from the field and a free throw.

Griffin followed with nine points on three field goals and tree throws, while Hudson added five on a field goal and three free throws.

Bergeson finished the contest with four points on two field goals, while Wiese and DeGrave both scored three points — Wiese with a field goal and a free throw and DeGrave drained a shot from beyond the arc.

Geneseo vs.?Stillman Valley

The Lady Leafs just narrowly escaped with a win Dec. 28 in the opening round of the Dixon Holiday Tournament. Geneseo defeated Stillman Valley, 46-45 to advance.

Stillman Valley took the early lead, 18-13 in the first quarter, but the Lady Leafs surged back with 12 points in the second to take the lead, 25-24 at the half.

Geneseo scored another 11 points in the third quarter, while Stillman Valley finished with nine for the 36-33 Lady Leaf advantage. Stillman Valley began to cut into Geneseo’s lead again in the fourth quarter and outscored GHS by two, 12-10, but the Lady Leafs were able pull out the win.

Griffin led the way for Geneseo with 15 points on six shots from the field and three free throws.

Rice added nine points with three field goals and three free throws, while Wiese scored seven as she hit a shot from beyond the arc and two field goals.

Hudson finished the game with six points on two field goals and went 2-for-2 from the foul line, while Witter chipped in three points with a three pointer.

Bergeson, Storm and DeGrave rounded out the effort with two points apiece, all with a field goal.

“Overall, I am happy with how the tournament went,” said Brucher.?“We won three of our four games and we made some strides as a team in terms of chemistry.”

The Lady Leafs (14-3 overall) will be back in NCIC action at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 at Dixon.