Tampa Catholic wins Keeler Tournament

Tampa Catholic girls basketball coach Nancy Kroll may celebrate this win for a while.

The Crusaders, playing Monday in the championship game of the Craig Keeler Memorial Tournament, overcame a 10-point, third-quarter deficit to upset Spruce Creek, 59-55.

TC (13-3) switched from a 2-3 zone to a 3-2, then rolled on a 19-0 run in the fourth quarter to take control of the game. Spruce Creek was coming off a big win over Sickles, which has been ranked in the top 10 in 6A this season.

"This was a really nice win," Kroll said. "They're a really good team."

TC forward Katelyn Bruns scored a career high 16 points, and Sarah Brennan racked up 19. And it was Annie Dziagwa that started that pivotal fourth quarter run with a big 3-pointer.

Said Kroll: "It was nothing but net."

-- JOE SMITH

joesmith@sptimes.com

Comments

Congratulations!

[Joe]

Good win. Who will win with Tampa Catholic and Boca Ciega?

[Basketball Fan]

So..... it was girl's basketball! just like powder puff football.

[bballer]

Actually annie dziagwa did not play the entire fourth quarter until the last few seconds when katelyn bruns fouled out. The only three pointer she hit was at the beginning of the third quarter.

[Joe]

If you haven't seen a girls game in at least 5 years.....you are missing out. These girls are fast, mean, and ready to kick some butt.

[Basketball fan]

sure Joe, they are still just girls. no alley oops, slam the finish. who cares about such a slow game.. below the rim. if you want a shooting contest have them play H.O.R.S.E..

[bballer]

Basketball fan
You obviously have not seen these girls play. They dont play a slow down game. They play a fast paced, running game so check your facts before commenting.

[Joe]

Here's a typical boys game today:

1 pass...then a dunk or a 3 point attempt.

Typical girls game: Push the ball up, 3, 4 or 5 passes, then a shot(a 3, a 15 footer, in the post, etc...)

It's played the way the game was meant to be played.

[Basketball fan]

sure Joe, that's why the WNBA only survives by the grace of the NBA execs who want to be politically correct. It is JUST a GIRLS game that doesn't mean anything except to the player, their families and friends.
by the way might be 345 passes then an airball or plunk off the rim.
Again who cares

[Joe]

Air ball?

Tell you what, go to virtually any college boys website and check out the team free throw percentage. Then go to the girls.....see what you find out.

[basketball Fan]

Joe,
so you are telling me the girls game is a better game? Give me a break dude. can u say title IX. that is the only reason the girls play. and the NBA is the only reason that there is a WNBA.

[Biggest Girls BB Fan]

Congratulations to ALL the TC Girls!!! They played as a TEAM and they ALL got the job done! Don't get so petty over who did what to win the game. It looks to me like it was a TEAM effort and the important thing is that TC won! You go girls!!!!

[bballer]

Basketball fan
If you hate girls basketball so much then why are you reading articles about it? Yes boys and girls basketball has its differences but there is no need to put down girls sports. They work just as hard.

[Joe]

Good call bballer. Someone is just hating on a great sport. Of course the guys game is better.......but that doesn't mean the girls don't put out a great game themselves.

The important point is that basketball is a team sport. There is way too much emphasis in the press on how many points particular individuals score. Very often, girls who don't score as much are the ones who keep the team in the game by playing aggressive defense and making sure the ball gets to the player with the best chance of scoring.

Dear Basketball Fan,
It seems as you have nothing else better to do than to sit in front of your computer and say negative things about girls basketball. If you have this big of a problem with it, than don't watch it and don't read about it. Get a life...Please!

Joe,
Thank you for the reviews you did on the TC girls basketball team. We greatly appreciate it.

Bballer,
Lady Crusader Basketball is a team sport. Annie hit a 3 pointer, which I believe, was very crucial to our win. Who cares when she made it? Katelyn played a great game as well, so did the rest of the team. Each person on the team contributed to the win on Monday. Whether it was their attitude, their 19 points, their assists or their rebounding. There is no need to put down another member of the team because of a grammatical error posted in the blog. We are a team. We play as a team. We win as a team.

On the court, we are a team. Off the court, we are family.

Sincerely,
Lysette (a member of the basketball team)

Dear Basketball Fan,
I can't help but respond to your comment regarding Title IX. Title IX is not the reason girls basketball exists. We played well before Title IX. In fact, my daughter represents the third generation to play organized girls basketball in our family. Like other civil rights legislation, Title IX forced an equal opportunity to be provided. Title IX is the reason low expectations are no longer allowed to squelch opportunities for female student athletes. As someone who played girls basketball before females had equal access, I can attest to the incedible opportunity the law has provided for today's girls. During my playing days, we rarely practiced because we were only allowed to use the gym when the boys had an away game. Because we were perceived to be the "weaker sex," during games, only two girls on the team were allowed to cross half-court on offense. Not suprisingly, the level of play for females was at a considerably lower level than for our male counterparts. In the over thirty years since the law's passage we have seen how equal access has led to tremendous growth in the girls' game. The girls game today is still different from the boys in some aspects, but it is no less spectacular!

[carolina]

GO TC CRUSADER GIRLS BASKETBALL!!

P.S- Well Said Lysette!!! Girls Rock!!!