Streaks Beat Moline

We were able to beat Moline. We at one point in the third quarter jumped out to a 12 or 14 point lead, but then became inefficient offensively and not only let them back into the game but we gave them the lead.

Fortunately we forced a total of 37 turnovers vs. Moline. That is some pretty good defense. Anyone who thinks we are all about offense, how many teams can force 37 turnovers?

Sharron Diggins had 25 points, including 8 of 8 from the foul line. Jessica Lieber had 16 points, and Paige Klinck had 12 points, including 3 threes (and one of her threes would have been far enough out to make Jessica Howard proud of her!!)  Good night for the Streaks!!



From the Argus....

By Marc Nesseler, nesseler@qconline.com

GALESBURG -- Are three losses too many to have hopes for a title in Western Big 6 Conference girls' basketball? After Thursday night's 70-66 victory by the Galesburg Silver Streaks over the Moline Maroons, the coach who had the three losses going in thought it was a long shot. The coach whose team picked up a third conference loss still thinks there's a shot. "A lot of bad things have to happen to Rock Island for them not to win it," Galesburg coach Evan Massey said, knowing the Rocks had moved to 5-1 in the WB6 and hold a two-game lead on the loss side over the Streaks (16-4, 4-3) and the Maroons (13-9, 3-3). Yet, Moline coach Steve Ford walked out of John Thiel Gymnasium believing enough good things could happen to his team for it to continue its string of four consecutive conference titles. "There's still an outside shot to get a share of the title with three losses," said Ford. "Right now, we've just got to take care of ourselves." That last part, too, is what Massey said, but with a caveat. "We've still got three tough games left in the conference, and the likelihood of us winning out with four straight is not great." And both coaches concluded their post-game wrap-ups with the line of needing to take the rest of the way "one game at a time." It was this one game that kept Galesburg close enough to the Rocks and moved the Maroons a game farther back that maintained intrigue throughout. Moline rarely led, by as many as four early (10-6) and by no more than two on a couple of occasions for the next two quarters. The Streaks built a 15-point lead (48-33) early in the third quarter, but saw that evaporate when Moline recaptured the lead and made it 58-55 midway through the fourth quarter. Galesburg's Sharron Diggins, though, wasn't going to be denied. She scored seven of her game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to help the Streaks keep a lead after forging a tie at 60. "At the beginning of the year, I think Sharron thought she might have just been along for the ride, with the little sister, big sister thing," Massey said, with Myra Diggins being a Streaks starter. "But at some point it all clicked. She has the ability to carry our team, and she has." That countered a big night by a Maroons reserve, Morgan Gerard. Gerard scored a team-high 21 points, all in the first three quarters, and had seven rebounds, second team-wise to Sanela Causevic's nine. "When we got the lead (in the fourth quarter), we had a couple of opportunities to increase the lead but didn't take advantage of it," Ford said. "We'd come down and have a turnover or something." Turnovers were a big problem for the Maroons, tallying 37. However, the game always stayed close because the Streaks totaled 30. Moline had three in double-figures, with Kylie Romeo adding 15 and Tiana McCormick 10. The Streaks did likewise, with Diggins being backed by Jessica Lieber's 16 and Paige Klinck's 12.