Gorman Girls impress many at tournament

Spencer Patterson

Monday, March 2, 1998 | 6:32 a.m.

RENO -- They didn't go as far as they wanted. But the girls on the Bishop Gorman basketball team accomplished more than they probably realize at last weekend's 4A state basketball tournament.

Expected by many to be one of four first-round casualties from the southern zone, the Gaels gained a measure or respect for Las Vegas girls basketball, advancing to the semifinals and coming within a point of making it to the championship game.

"It has to be a statement," said Gorman coach Tom Robinson, whose squad became the first southern team to make it past the first round in three seasons. "Of course, it would have been a bigger statement if it had been two points the other way."

The Gaels opened the tournament with a 62-60 victory over Carson, winning on Jennifer Swanson's free throws in the final seconds. Still, when Robinson's charges took the court for their semifinal clash with perennial power Elko, few thought the game would be anything but a blowout.

With senior forward Amy Roban and junior center Paige Sutton playing some of their best basketball of the season, Gorman led for most of the first three quarters.

But Elko's pressing defense ultimately proved too much for the Gorman guards, who turned the ball over eight times in the final quarter.

The Indians took their first lead since the opening moments on Kathryn Symmes' layup with a minute-and-a-half to play. They were forced to watch a Sutton 3-pointer rim out at the buzzer before they could celebrate their 58-57 win.

"Our players did a tremendous job," Robinson said. "We got farther than we've ever been before, and we know we're going to keep getting better."