Gaines’ big night helps Rock Port get past Gilman City

GALLATIN, Mo. (KQTV) -- The Rock Port Lady Blue Jays Basketball team got by the Gilman City Lady Hawks in the MSHSAA Class 1 Quarterfinals on Friday night.

Rock Port beat Gilman City at the Gallatin Bulldogs home court by a score of 43-31.

This second state trip means a lot to Lady Blue Jays Head Coach Austin Alitz, as the team overcame the challenge of defeating the 27-1 Gilman City Girls Hoops squad.

"I didn't sleep much this week. They have some really athletic girls and work hard, and their defense was really good," Alitz told KQ2. "They played a good box-and-one on Audrie (Meyerkorth) and basically took her out of the game. Luckily, other girls stepped up, and our defense was strong too."

As a result of the Lady Hawks' defensive focus on the Lady Blue Jays' upperclassmen, one of those who stepped up was freshman Stevie Gaines, who found opportunities and led the team in scoring Friday evening with 15 points.

"They were really guarding Audrie (Meyerkorth) a lot, which challenged us offensively because we usually run our plays through her. We adjusted by finding other ways to score. I focused on rebounding missed shots and immediately putting them back up, and when that wasn’t possible, I drove to the basket to either score or draw fouls and get to the free-throw line. Making free throws became my main objective," Gaines said postgame.

In recognition of Gaines's effort, both tonight and throughout the season, her Head Coach has taken notice.

"She's only a freshman and has stepped up for us in big moments. She was a rebounding force tonight, which we emphasized all week," Alitz added.

Looking ahead, Rock Port will face Delta (26-4) on March 11 at 10:00 am in Columbia in the Class 1 State Semifinals.