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Gaels struggle from long range in loss

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SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — They had open looks. They had opportunities from the corners, they ran plays for shots from beyond the arc and they had chances when the defense backed off.

None of it seemed to pay off for the members of the Holy Family girls’ basketball team.

The Gaels missed all 20 of their three-point attempts and made just seven field goals in a 39-24 loss to first-place Alverno on Tuesday in a Horizon League game at the Pacific Community Center.

“[Our shots] weren’t falling,” said Holy Family Coach Ernest Siy, whose team was 3-1 in league entering Tuesday’s game, a game behind Alverno (5-0) in league in the loss column.

“We had plays set up for the three-pointer, but they weren’t falling. That’s basketball for you.”

Alverno, the defending league champion, stepped back and waited for Holy Family to hit a three before contesting the Gaels’ shots.

“We were going to play prevent defense until they hit it and they didn’t,” said Alverno Coach Brent Fabbri, whose team improved to 9-4, 6-0 in league after defeating Holy Family for the second time this season.

Fabbri’s other defensive plan was to prevent Holy Family guard Gayle Lachica from scoring. That plan didn’t work too well.

Lachica, a senior, had a game-high 14 points to go with nine rebounds and seven steals, but she didn’t get much help. Gaby Diaz had six points and Elena Lomeli had four points for Holy Family (5-11, 3-2).

“Gayle is our anchor,” said Siy, whose team made just two second-half field goals. “When she goes, we go. But she can’t do it by herself.”

Lachica carried Holy Family for the first half, when she scored nine points and had six steals as the Gaels tied the score at 11 with 3:23 to play in the second quarter.

Alverno responded with an 11-0 run over the following six minutes, highlighted by four consecutive baskets to start the third quarter. Jasmine Ross (11 points) had six points during the run and Marissa Seane (12 points) had four. Mimi Capra added nine points for Alverno.

“We had a plan in place to pressure on their top two starters,” said Siy, referring to Ross and Capra. “We did a good job, but we didn’t finish it. We didn’t execute it.”

Holy Family, which was seven of 56 (12.5%) from the field, got to within six on the strength of its free-throw shooting. The Gaels were nine of 12 from the free-throw line in the second half, but their missed opportunities from beyond the three-point arc proved to be too much to overcome.

“We didn’t show up,” Siy said. “Sometimes they show up and are ready to play and sometimes they don’t execute the task at hand.”

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