Geffen Academy Girls Varsity Bruins suffer painful loss to Wiseburn Da Vinci, 54-50

The Geffen Academy Girls Varsity Bruins came into today’s game with new life. Coming off of a victory, the Bruins looked to continue their winning ways before heading into the holidays. Playing a strong team in Wiseburn Da Vinci that featured two tall centers controlling the painted area, the Bruins would have their work cut out for them. For most of the first half, the game remained quite competitive. With most of the point being provided by veterans Ciahna McNairy and Chloe Berkowitz in the first half, the Bruins were able to stay within striking distance as Wiseburn Da Vinci was unable to make their shots. However, as is sometimes in most games, shooting was contagious. Once Wiseburn Da Vinci saw one go down, the tables turned. By the time the buzzer sounded and alerted the end of the second quarter, Geffen Academy found themselves in a double digit hole. For most of the third quarter, the game stayed its course. Every time the Bruins were seemingly going on a run, Wiseburn Da Vinci would answer. Only when the 4th quarter began did the game really shift. The Bruins would put their best lineup in the game and threw the press on in a last ditch effort to try to make something out of nothing. And it worked. Wiseburn Da Vinci tired, and by the middle of the 4th, they could barely even move their legs. McNairy and Berkowitz made some important free throws, and once again, Madeline (Maddie) Sugimoto took over down the stretch, more than cementing herself as a player Geffen Academy can look to in times of need. Adding 9 4th quarter points, Sugimoto and her team brought the game to a two-possession game with just over four minutes to play. But just when it looked all was going well for the Bruins, something changed. Three costly fouls by McNairy not only gave the opposition points with the clock stopped, but time to catch their breath as well. McNairy would foul out and by the time the game reached the final minute, it was all but over with Geffen’s best scorer on the sideline. This confusing and stunning defeat will leave Geffen Academy with a lot to work on both on the attacking and defensive 47. They’ve got to be better down the stretch as a team.