Preps

Basketball: Green Devils fall short against Sickles

By BRYAN BURNS, Times Correspondent
Published November 28, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Sickles practiced all week, working on its defense and boxing out, knowing that both would be critical in a key district battle with St. Petersburg.

Sickles did both particularly well in its 53-39 victory. However, the Gryphons couldn't have foreseen St. Petersburg's shooting woes.

The Green Devils shot just 24 percent (15-of-63) from the field and were outrebounded 39-32 by the smaller Gryphons.

"Tonight was a game that we wanted to make a statement," Sickles coach Mark Key said. "We came over here to prove that we were better. Our kids wanted it tonight."

After both teams struggled to find the basket early - the score was tied at six after one quarter - Sickles (7-0, 2-0) began to take control in the second quarter. Shawntae Snakovsky, who scored a game-high 23, got things rolling for the Gryphons with her team's only 3-pointer of the night and finishing the second quarter with nine points to give Sickles a 21-10 lead at halftime.

St. Petersburg (3-3, 0-2) opened the second half on a 12-1 run to tie it at 22 with 2:30 left in the third, but it would be the only time the Green Devils were close for the rest of the game. Sickles immediately answered with a 10-0 run to close out the third and converted 9 of 11 free throws to pull away in the fourth.

"It was more about us not making shots," St. Petersburg coach Ryan Halstead said. "We had shooters, but we didn't have any makers - I thought that was the difference."

Sickles' Melissa Ramsey contributed a double double (12 points, 14 rebounds) and made six straight free throws down the stretch to keep the Green Devils at bay.

Danielle Troupe led St. Petersburg with 11 points and added six rebounds.

[Last modified November 27, 2007, 23:36:44]