Thursday, Feb. 19, 1998 | 1:54 a.m.
Many coaches believe the first two minutes of the second half are the two most important of a basketball game. They become especially crucial when trailing by 18 points at the break.
Down 33-15 entering the third quarter, Chaparral exited the locker room flat and got blown out of their own gym 72-43 by defending zone champion Bishop Gorman. The loss provided Chaparral with an early exit from the 4A Southern Zone girls' basketball tournament and abruptly ended their season.
The Gaels used an 11-2 run in the early stages of the second half to put the game out of reach.
"We've struggled in the third quarter all year long," said a dejected Rochelle Whittaker, whose Cowboys ended the season at 17-9. "I thought we had broken the jinx three or four game back, but it was the same old problem."
Paige Sutton scored 11 points to help the Gaels outscore the Cowboys 23-10 in the third quarter. She finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Sutton credited her teammates for getting her the ball in the right places.
"We had good teamwork tonight, especially in the second half. We really encouraged each other and pulled together as a team," she said.
The win gave the Gaels (21-6) their third straight trip to the state tournament. They lost in the first round last year to Carson High.
"I'm not sure what to expect in Reno," said Gorman coach Tom Robinson, referring to the site of this year's state tournament. "There's going to be some pretty good competition there, but I think we can compete."
No one in attendance Wednesday would argue with Robinson. His Gaels opened the game with a 13-0 run and led by as many as 35 late in the fourth quarter.
Amy Roban led Gorman's assault with a game-high 26 points. Elizabeth Cansdale played well on the perimeter and added 11.
Krystal Turner and Julianne Hafen had 12 apiece for Chaparral.
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