1999 Girls 2nd in State
33-2
(State Rank- #2)
The 1998 Streaks lost in the Elite 8 game, but had no seniors on their roster. The entire starting five returned for the 1999 season. In terms of playing time, the top 9 players on the ‘99 time were:
Jaque Howard (5’4” Jr, Pt Gd) 8.0ppg, 6.2apg
Michelle Flaar (5’7” Jr, Guard) 3.5ppg
Megan Pacheco (5’8” Jr, Forward) 11.8ppg, 5.4rpg
Whitney Snyder (5’10” Jr, Forward) 8.0ppg, 6.2rpg
Sarah Larson (5’11” Sr, Post) 22.6ppg, 8.5rpg
Jenny Zolper (5’9” Sr, Post) 2.4ppg, 3.5rpg
Rachel Bicego (5’6” So Guard) 4.0ppg
Sarah Pacheco (5’10” Soph Guard) 4.7ppg, 2.0rpg
The season started off just the way a coach doesn’t want the season to start. With the entire roster from the 1998 season returning plus some players off the soph team, there were about 20 players trying out. We started out with “two-a-days” for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We explained how we were going to evaluate players during tryouts. How could this go wrong?
Our “star”, Sarah Larson over slept the first morning. Sarah Larson was not going to get cut. With the skill tests we had them perform, after 60 minutes of “tests” in the afternoon practice, Sarah was in the top five of players. What a relief, Sarah Larson made the team.
There were high expectations for the 1999 team, and they did not disappoint. GHS started the season by going 5-0 in the GHS Thanksgiving Tourney with wins over Washington, Rockford Guilford, Carthage, Peoria Central, and Richwoods. The five tourney games gave a good look at what the Streaks were going to be like. Whitney Snyder twice led the Streaks in scoring, including a 25 point performance. Snyder, Sarah Larson, Megan Pacheco, Jaque Howard, and Sarah Pacheco all had games where they scored in double figures. Michelle Flaar and Rachel Bicego defended the best shooters on the other teams.
An early theme from Streaks opponents was to complain about officiating. Opponents all year would be right that the Streaks seemed to shoot a lot of free throws. Megan Pacheco at 5’8” could play inside or outside, Sarah Larson at 5’11” could post up or step out to shoot, and Whitney Snyder at 5’10” was quick and attacked the basket. They were really, really tough matchups for the opposing teams. Smaller defenders could guard them on the perimeter but fouled them inside, bigger defender would try to cover them on the perimeter but get beat and foul.
How tough were these three to guard without fouling? Pacheco, Snyder, and Larson shot 558 free throws on the season, while Galesburg’s opponents shot only 388 free throws. Some opposing coaches were sure it was a conspiracy that was allowing Galesburg to shoot so many free throws. If there was a conspiracy, it was a state wide conspiracy. It did not matter if games were at Galesburg, Geneseo, Moline, NIU, or Redbird Arena, those three got to the foul line over and over.
Galesburg played several teams who had been ranked in State polls. Richwoods (twice), Ottawa, Chicago Maria, Barrington were all ranked at one time. The Streaks won these games by an average of 16 points. Sarah Larson set GHS single game scoring record vs. Maria as she pumped in 41 points on 15-19 from the field. At Barrington, the Streaks got down 10 in the first half before roaring back for 6 point win.
Things were not always easy. In early December, Galesburg travelled to Freeport. Freeport had a run similar to Galesburg in the 1990’s, but Galesburg had beaten them in 1996 and 1997 in the Sectionals, and blown them out in 1998. The expectation was that Galesburg would be able to handle the Pretzels. GHS jumped out to a 21-11 lead after one but then Freeport took the lead in the second quarter. An inpatient Coach Massey yanked all five starters halfway thru the period.
According to Coach Peachey, an inpatient, frustrated, and perhaps angry Coach Massey turned to Sarah Larson and said, “If you aren’t going to play with any more effort than that, why don’t you go wait out on the bus for us.” I thought I said something like, “Catch your breath and go back in.” But maybe Peachey is right.
Although the Streaks had a perfect 9-0 game to start the Western Big Six, it was a challenge. GHS had close wins- East Moline (7), Moline (4), Quincy (12), Rock Island (13), Alleman (7). It was a challenge. The Streaks were #2 in State ranking most of the year, but one week bumped up to #1. They won 29 straight with only the game at Quincy to go. Galesburg shot poorly vs Quincy’s 1-2-2 zone and did not rebound well, on their way to a 71-63 loss. The game probably was not as close as the score would indicate, a furious comeback late closed the score.
The loss in the last regular season game seemed to grab the attention of the Streaks. In the Regional championship, the Streaks beat a good Geneseo team by a score of 77-43.
Galesburg continued on a roll at the Geneseo Sectional by beating Freeport 88-53. This may have been one of the best games the Streaks played all season. They pressed in full court and trapped in the half-court and created havoc for the Pretzels. Behind Sarah Larson’s 31 points, Galesburg led 26-7 after one quarter, and 53-23 at half. Sarah accomplished this wearing jersey #3, after bringing the wrong #54 jersey to the game.
The Freeport win set up the third game vs Rock Island for the Sectional Championship. It was a sell out crowd at Geneseo with fans from both teams packed to the raftered, and Rocky football players spilling onto the floor to intimidate the Streaks.
The teams battled back and forth in the first half. Sarah Larson and Megan Pacheco sat much of the second quarter with two fouls. Jenny Zolper, Jaque Howard, and Michelle Flaar carried the Streaks offensively to a 33-31 half-time lead which the Streaks stretched to 50-46 at half. Galesburg exploded with a 26-16 fourth quarter.
Howard (15 pts), Zolper, Flaar, and Snyder combined to go 13-19 from the field, including Howard knocking down 3 threes. Megan Pacheco finished with 18 points, including a three from the corner that completely took the wind out of Rocky’s sails in the fourth quarter to push Galesburg to over a ten point lead. Sarah Larson finished with 17 second half points. This was GHS’s 5th Sectional title in a row.
The Streaks were matched up vs. Machesney Park Harlem. Harlem had four players at 6’1” or taller, including 6’1” junior Aminata Yanni, who was a Street and Smith All-American. Harlem was 27-3 on the season.
Galesburg struggled in the first half vs. the Harlem height. Harlem led 26-25 at half. Our normal routine at half-time was for the coaches to talk and then Coach Massey would address the team. Coach Mike Jaskoski was so disappointed with the post play vs. the tall Harlem team that Jas bypassed the “staff meeting,” and exploded into the lockeroom. He did not discuss X/O’s as much as just talked about effort and physicalness.
Coach Peachey must have been rattled, after the team left to go back on the floor, he went to the bathroom. All of the rest of the coaches left, and our NIU attendant locked the door. Peach could not get out of the door so he had to go thru the back emergency exit, run around the building and race back into the gym.
Galesburg battled to take a 44-40 lead with just over 6 minutes to go, but things did not turn out to go easy. Megan Pacheco fouled out with 2:54 to go, with the free throws, Harlem tied it up.
With a minute to go, Harlem led 56-53, before Sarah Larson drilled a three with 51 seconds to go. Harlem missed a shot, and Galesburg got the rebound with 35 seconds to go. Galesburg took a time out with 28 seconds to go, and again with 11 seconds to go. Galesburg was in full control.
The Streaks turned the ball over on the inbounds pass. In one of those moments that only coaches experience- Jas was taking a drink after the time out with his water bottle. As Harlem intercepted the ball and headed down for the winning layup, Jas made one of the most impressive athletic feats that I have ever seen.
On the steal, he tossed the ball at least 30 feet in the air. He caught the bottle just as Jaque Howard rebounded the missed layup and was fouled by Yanni. He could try to do that 100 times and not time it like that again. Peachey later said he didn’t see the missed layup by Harlem because he was watching the water bottle.
We missed the free throw and headed to over time- Galesburg without Pacheco and Harlem without Yanni. In the OT, Galesburg went with Howard, Bicego, S.Pacheco, Snyder, and Larson. Again, Galesburg got the lead, up 63-59 with 1:45 to go. But Harlem roared back to take a 64-63 lead with 30 seconds to go.
Galesburg worked the ball offensively but got no easy looks. With about 15 seconds, Galesburg ran a play to get the ball to Sarah Larson. Jaque Howard got her the ball but Bicego’s defender doubled Larson. Larson kicked it out to Howard who passed to a wide open Bicego at the top of the key. Bicego drove the ball toward the basket. As a defender popped out to stop Bicego, Sarah Pacheco went from the opposite wing to the basket. Bicego hit her with a perfect pass. Pacheco took one dribble and a three foot shot to give Galesburg a one point lead with less than two seconds.
Quite a finish- sophomore Rachel Bicego to sophomore Sarah Pacheco. When a reporter asked Sarah what she was thinking about, she replied, “I didn’t think about anything.”
After a Harlem time out, a Harlem desperation 3/4 court shot that actually came close but missed- the GHS students exploded onto the floor.
Larson had 24 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Streaks to their 4th straight Super-Sectional win, and trip to Redbird Arean.
Next week- “Streaks Scrapbook”-1999 Girls 2nd in State- Part II. We will finish the story with State Tourney games.
Galesburg Regional
Galesburg 77 Geneseo 44
Geneseo Sectional
Galesburg 88. Freeport 53
Galesburg 76. Rock Island 62
NIU DeKalb Super-Sectional
Galesburg 65. Machesney Park Harlem 64 OT
State at Redbird
Galesburg 56. Loyola 54
Galesburg 41. Lincoln 39
Chicago Marshall 68. Galesburg 56
Roster- Jaque Howard, Michelle Flaar, Megan Pacheco, Whitney Snyder, Sarah Larson, Jenny Zolper, Rachel Bicego, Sarah Pacheco, Kimi Peck, Shannon Williams, Katie McGunnigal, Mary Lindstrom, Stacy Boettcher, Shanell Jackson, Michelle Mundy, Ashley Shepherd
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