Vicenza sophomore Ally Taylor drives the lane during a Division II semifinal against American Overseas School of Rome at the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Feb. 16, 2024, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
WIESBADEN, Germany – The American Overseas School of Rome girls basketball team was in dire straits at halftime of a Division II semifinal against Vicenza.
The Falcons trailed by 13 points, a deficit that seemed insurmountable as they hadn’t reached double-digit points yet at Wiesbaden High School on Friday afternoon.
“Every team that makes it to the championship game at some point on the road to get there has a lull,” AOSR coach Lillian Aldred said. “And that was definitely ours. It just seemed like we were falling apart at the seams, and I told them, ‘Champions rise above. If you want to play tomorrow, you have to rise above this and get through it.’”
By the final whistle, the Falcons did rise above that adversity, coming from behind to beat the Cougars 34-33. AOSR (16-5) surpassed its first-half outpoint (eight) in the third quarter alone (11) and more than doubled it in the final frame (15).
“It’s such a relief,” AOSR sophomore Silvia Goldman said. “I was proud of everyone. It was stressful, but we pulled through and made it. It was the result we wanted.”
The Cougars (9-8) led the entire game until 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, when Goldman scored on a layup to make it 34-33.
The 5-foot-4 point guard’s game mirrored that of her team’s. Goldman struggled scoring over the first 16 minutes, with her only two points coming from the charity stripe.
In the second half, though, Goldman caught fire. From the 2:47 and 2:18 marks in the fourth period, she connected on a pair of 3-pointers that ate away at what was a seven-point deficit at the time.
On the Falcons’ next possession, she scored the game-winning layup.
Goldman finished with 15 points. Teammate Natalia DiMatteo amassed 19 points.
“The first half, I wasn’t really making my shots and stuff, but I knew could,” Goldman said. “I just knew if I go into it confident, shoot like I normally do, I can make it. Then I made it and made another one. Just after the first one, everyone got boosted up. We all felt that bit of hope.”
Freshman guard Kayla Steimle paced the Cougars with 19 points.
Naples sophomore Gracie Grannis dribbles during a Division II semifinal against Rota at the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Feb. 16, 2024, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Rota sophomore Jourdan Timmons dribbles up the court while Naples guard Anais Navidad gives chase during a Division II semifinal at the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Feb. 16, 2024, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
American Overseas School of Rome sophomore Claire Shekleton deals with pressure from Vicenza guard Kayla Steimle during a Division II semifinal at the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Feb. 16, 2024, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
Vicenza guard Kayla Steimle heads to the hoop on the fast-break following an AOSR turnover during a Division II semifinal at the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Feb. 16, 2024, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)
The Falcons return to the championship game, where they will face a familiar foe in Naples.
The Wildcats found themselves in a tight contest against a scrappy Rota team, but eventually the top seed in Division II pulled away for a 48-36 victory.
Naples (14-1) was behind by a point at halftime and led by just one heading into the fourth frame before exploding for 16 points to pull away.
“I think we panicked because most games, they haven’t been too close,” Naples senior guard Anais Navidad said. “Usually, we start off strong, but we came out flat this game.
“We picked it up the third quarter. We realized this is semis, this is it.”
It wasn’t looking particularly good for Naples in the second quarter, as the Admirals kept the offense in check. If it wasn’t for the free-throw line, Naples could have been in trouble. The team went 9 of 14, and it made just one basket – a layup by Gracie Grannis at the 3:32 mark.
Overall, the Wildcats scored 18 points from the charity stripe.
“Any time we can get easy (points) when buckets are hard to come by, that’s always a plus,” Naples coach Jim Davis said. “We attack a lot, and we force people’s hands whether to foul us or let us make the basket. It’s a double-edged sword.”
Grannis finished with a game-high 22 points.
The Wildcats didn’t do much pressing in the semifinal, which turned into a lack of fast-break opportunities. Rota committed just 13 turnovers throughout the game.
Davis mentioned how he wanted to keep something in the team’s back pocket while saving their legs for Saturday’s final, slated to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Wiesbaden Sports and Fitness Center on Clay Kaserne.
“It’s like having a joker in your hand,” Davis said. “I’ve learned that lesson: Use it when you need it and save it if you don’t have to use it.”
Saturday’s game features a rematch from last year’s title matchup, which AOSR won by a single point. The Wildcats haven’t forgotten that fact, either.
“Last year … we lost by one free throw,” Navidad said. “We’re excited and ready to play.”