Matthew Gilbert Middle School- The Gilbert Panthers hosted Highlands in an in school game on Tuesday. The boys would play first and the girls afterwards, as both divisions competed for playoff spots.
Boys
The Gilbert boys jumped out to a big lead early and never looked back as they defeated Highlands 57-23. Gilbert completely dominated their opponent using full and half court presses. They repeatedly stole the ball in the back court which led to easy layups and baskets. The Panthers reserves were just as effective, forcing turnovers and converting fast break points. ” I feel really good about this win”, said Coach Williams Head Coach for Gilbert. ” We really harassed them with our defensive play and I’m very proud of their effort”.
Highlands never gave up against the taller and quicker panthers. The effort is a testament to their coaching philosophy instilled in them by their Head Coach, Coach Patrick. She said after the game that she teaches her team to play with heart, and they did not let her down. Yet in the end it was the opposing team that registered the win.
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Girls
The Girls action got off to a much slower pace. Both team were fairly evenly matched and battled for position all game. Defense was the name of the game for this contest too, as both team traded 
steals, blocked shots and fouls on each end.
This aggressive contest would be won at the foul line as Highlands converted a higher percentage of their free throws than Gilbert. Still the Panthers wern’t conceding as their talented guards pushed the ball up court driving to the basket at almost every juncture. But it was Highland’s length that turned most of their attempts away. Leading this effort was #2 Jasmine Davis who created space with her quickness and strength when driving to the basket. She guided highlands to the 27-22 victory.
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