Postseason race is adding fuel to fire - Marin Independent Journal

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Postseason race is adding fuel to fire

Patton, Falcons net key win against Novato as playoff push continues

Reese Patton of Archie Williams shoots and hits a 3-point shot as a Novato defender moves in on her during their MCAL game in Novato on Tuesday. Archie Williams defeated Novato 45-33. PHOTOS BY SHERRY LAVARS — MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL

Kaeley Sullivan of Archie Williams grabs a rebound in front of Novato defender Seanna Madsen during their MCAL game in Novato on Tuesday.

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By Holly Woolard

IJ Correspondent

The race for the final MCAL girls basketball playoff spots heated up on Tuesday night at Novato High, and visiting Archie Williams came out intent to stake its claim.

The Peregrine Falcons (12-8, 2-3 MCAL) never trailed during a key 45-33 victory, which pushed them into fifth place and gave them the head-to-head advantage over Novato. With the loss, the Hornets (12-9, 2-3) fell to sixth in the league standings.

The top six teams advance to the MCAL playoffs, which start Feb. 10. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds receive first-round byes and begin with semifinal action on Feb. 12.

Archie sophomore Reese Patton said she and her teammates were well aware that the Peregrine Falcons needed a win against the Hornets and brought out the intensity from the get-go.

“I really wanted it so much,” said Patton, who had a game-high 17 points. “I felt like my defense was really intense tonight and I was working really hard to get stops, get steals — I was just trying to get the win tonight.”Besides defensive intensity, the Falcons were hungrier than the Hornets, according to Novato second-year coach Dan Curtaz.

“You’ve got to give credit to Archie — they came to play,” said Curtaz. “They out-hustled us and they deserved to win this game. It was really about the team that wanted it more.”

The Peregrine Falcons took charge from the outset and bolted to a 10-2 lead with 2 minutes, 5 seconds remaining in the first quarter. Patton was an offensive sparkplug, going 4 for 4 from the free-throw line and making a bucket for six points.

“We’ve had trouble this year starting slow,” said Curtaz. “We just have to learn to put four quarters together.”

It didn’t help that the Hornets’ leading scorer Claire Hannan got into early foul trouble. The senior didn’t score in the first quarter and was held to seven points for the game. Ariana Plascencia led the Hornets with 13 points. Seanna Madsen chipped in five points and gave the Hornets a spark off the bench.

Archie Williams senior Carolyn Morris played stellar defense, keeping Hannan out of sync when she was on the court. Senior Kaeley Sullivan scored 13 points, overpowering the Hornets with several buckets off offensive rebounds, including one with 4:28 left in the third quarter that put Archie ahead 27-20.

“We wanted to come out strong and make a statement,” said Archie coach Zach Wahle. “We definitely spoke about Claire in the pregame, and I thought Carolyn did a fantastic job on her. “

Archie Williams closes the MCAL regular season against ninth-place San Rafael, fourth-place Tam, and first-place Redwood.

The Hornets, who had won four of their previous five games, are seeking their first playoff berth since the 2017-18 season.

Curtaz, a 1989 Novato grad, is determined to get the Hornets back into the playoffs, making Thursday’s game at sixth-place Branson a must-win. Next week the Hornets face second-place Marin Catholic and third-place San Marin.