GIRLS’ BASKETBALL : Fremont Quickens the Pace to Catch South Gate, 62-61

Sometimes, winning takes more than superior talent. It takes desire.

The Fremont High girls’ basketball players Friday night seemed to remember that in the third quarter of their game against South Gate. The Pathfinders rallied from a 10-point deficit to win, 62-61.

With the victory, Fremont (16-7 overall, 8-3 in the Southeastern Conference) secured second place in the league behind Roosevelt. South Gate (18-4 overall, 8-3 in conference) fell to third place because it has lost to Fremont twice this season.

“All year long we’ve been having trouble getting over the hump of playing good basketball,” said Fremont coach Mat Taylor. “Tonight we played the best basketball we have (played) all season.”

Rochelle Davis, a junior center, and Trashon Perkins, a junior forward, led Fremont with 16 points each. Sheila Paige, a senior guard, added 14 points.

Fremont struggled in the first half. The score was tied at 32 at halftime.

South Gate went on a 16-6 run in the first six minutes of the third quarter to take a 10-point lead. The run was capped by a three-point shot by Letty Madrigal, a South Gate shooting guard who made four three-pointers. But Fremont regained momentum with 10 consecutive points in the final two minutes of the third quarter to tie the score at 48. The run was led by Davis and Paige, who scored five points each.

“At halftime, we knew we could pick up our level,” said Dy Drummer, a starting forward who scored nine points for Fremont. “We thought we could win this game without hustling, but when we came back in (in the second half), we came back in hard.”

Fremont had difficulty containing South Gate’s perimeter game, especially at the start of the fourth quarter, when Madrigal and freshman Ruby Maciel each hit a three-point shot to put South Gate ahead, 58-53.

But with three minutes remaining, Perkins started the final rally for Fremont with a field goal. A minute later, she added a key steal and a layup to the Pathfinders’ nine-point run, which sealed the win.

South Gate was led by Madrigal, who scored 21 points. Michele Gonzalez had 14 points and sisters Ruby and Nancy Maciel scored nine and eight points each.

Although South Gate seemed to concede defeat when they trailed by four points in the final 14 seconds, Nancy Maciel made a three-point shot at the buzzer.

SOUTH GATE--Madrigal 21, Gonzalez 14, R. Maciel 9, N. Maciel 8, Roesner 7, Martinez 2.

FREMONT--Perkins 16, Davis 16, Paige 14, Drummer 9, McDaniel 5, Daniels 2.