Gatewood basketball played its final game of 2023 at home on Dec. 20, with both the girls’ and boys’ teams tipping off against Briarwood Academy.
Up first, the Lady Gators (5-4) fell 57-49 after leading most of the game. It was the exact opposite for the Gators (6-1) as they were down 20-8 after the first quarter but recovered and finished with a solid 71-56 victory.
“Yeah, we did really well winning three quarters, but that fourth quarter, I feel like that we still are missing that mental piece. That’s kind of our last little piece of the puzzle,” girls’ head coach Jordan Walters said. “I feel like we’re missing things, start going a little frantic, and then we get chaotic instead of sticking to the plan and trusting what’s worked the whole ball game.”
Walters pointed out she has a “very young team this year,” with only two seniors and one junior on the squad. “My younger players are learning about that mental part (of the game) and how important it is in these types of ball games.”
Among the freshman class making a difference, however, is point guard Maddie Capps, who poses a threat to score almost every time she’s under the basket. As Walters said, seniors Carly Cannon and London Darden with junior Sarah Mansfield also are consistent performers at both ends of the court.
“I think that we are making strides in the right direction. We’re five (wins) and four (losses) and all four have been 10 points or less, so we’re right there, but I think that mental piece is what’s going to push us over the edge for the next half of the season,” Walters said. “We’ve just got to figure out how to put ourselves in the best position to finish and quit hurting ourselves. I’m not sure how many teams that have beaten us are better than us, and how many we have given the ballgame away at the end.”
Once the Gators took the court it looked like more of the same as the Buccaneers consistently thwarted Gatewood’s full-court press to take an early lead. When the first quarter ended, though, head coach Don Keiser changed the defense to a 1-2-2 half-court press that completely changed the Gators’ pace of play.
“This team (Briarwood), I think we were taking them a little too lightly because we watched them on film and we thought it was going to be an easy one, but they came out to play,” Keiser said after the game. “They hit us in the mouth and got up eight to nothing on us, so we had to make changes.”
Gatewood won the second quarter 22-9, based largely on the shooting of sophomore Matt Allen, who nailed five field goals, including a trio of three-pointers that added 13 total points to a 30-28 Gatewood lead at halftime.
Allen added another 13 points before fouling out of the game early in the final quarter, but by then, the Gators were in full control, aided by 17 points from junior Kaden Keiser and 15 from junior Walker Roberts to lead the Gatewood scorers’ list.
Keiser played his reserves for most of the fourth quarter.
“I was very pleased with the effort and everything else toward the end,” Keiser said. “It’s nice to go on break coming off a win. A lot better than the other way around.”
Both Gatewood teams return to action at home on Jan. 3 versus First Presbyterian Day (after press time), then visit Briarwood on Jan. 5 before hosting Georgia Military College this Saturday. The Gators play at 4 p.m., followed by the Lady Gators taking the court at 6 p.m.