Gorman, Centennial, Liberty shoot for girls title
Bishop Gorman’s girls basketball history is chock full of trips to the state tournament. The Gaels qualified for the state’s showcase event every year from 2005 to 2011 and six times in the eight years prior to that.
The last three years, though a success by any reasonable standard, the Gaels made only one appearance. They’re back again this year and determined to capture the program’s first title since 2010.
Gorman (23-5) face Sunrise Region champion Liberty (25-3) in a Division I state semifinal at 3 p.m. Friday at Orleans Arena. Sunset Region champion Centennial (29-2) faces Northern Region champion Bishop Manogue (25-3) in the other semifinal at 6:20.
“We’re honored to be in this spot,” said Gorman coach Sheryl Krmpotich, whose team didn’t qualify for state last year but was the state runner-up in 2013. “The kids do appreciate it because people have had to play different positions and play out of position just to get here.”
The Gaels have plenty of talent and size. Madison Washington, a 6-foot- 2-inch junior post, was the Southwest League Most Valuable Player and joins 6-2 junior Raychel Stanley on the inside. Megan Jacobs, a 6-1 junior wing, is a difficult matchup on the perimeter because of her height.
Gorman also has gotten significant contributions from senior wing Alaysia Robinson and sophomore guard Skylar Jackson, but the team is missing one crucial position.
“We’re still playing without a true point guard since last year,” Krmpotich said. “We don’t have a floor general. We do it by committee. With us, you never know who is going to score.”
Robinson also is the team’s lone senior, though the other semifinalists aren’t senior laden either. Centennial has one senior, and Manogue and Liberty three each.
There also doesn’t appear to be a clear-cut favorite in the field.
Centennial defeated Gorman in overtime in the Sunset final and beat Liberty twice during the first half of the season, but fell to Foothill, which lost to both the Gaels and Patriots. Liberty defeated Gorman in late January.
Manogue, which beat two-time defending state champion Reno in the Northern final, hasn’t played a Southern Nevada opponent this season.
“It’s wide open,” Krmpotich said. “It could be anybody on any given day.”
For it to be the Gaels, they’ll have to fare better against Liberty than in the teams’ first matchup, a 45-35 win by the Patriots at South Point Arena. The 35 points matched Gorman’s lowest total of the season.
“We had Flintstones feet that game, and we just didn’t handle the ball well,” Krmpotich said. “We just have to play. We know they’re going to bring it at us. They change up their defenses often. They’re always putting you in some type of trapping mode.
“We need to handle the ball better.”
Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.
