Wamogo wipes out Jackets, 76-38

WINSTED — A few days after claiming their second win of the season in a 63-45 road victory at Wolcott Tech, the Gilbert girls basketball team faced Wamogo at home on Tuesday, Feb. 8, where despite offering a strong start, the Lady Jackets suffered a blowout 76-38 loss.

Neither side looked particularly sharp in the opening minutes. Wamogo stammered short of finishing their chances while Gilbert frequently turned over possession on bad passes. Gilbert seemed planted to the floor, especially when trying to work out of their own end. That lack of movement and winning one-on-one battles led to long looping pass attempts that were quickly pinched by Wamogo and transformed into strong scoring opportunities.

Gilbert freshman Nikki Nash continues to be Gilbert’s offensive anchor. Her inside shooting, battles beneath the boards and remarkable foul shot efforts make her the Jackets’ leading scorer night after night. It was this work by Nash through the first that kept Gilbert just within reach by the end of the quarter, trailing 19-12.

Wamogo found their offense early in the second, the lion’s share of it beneath Gilbert’s boards. Desperate and incapable of securing defensive zone rebounds, the Jackets allowed Wamogo numerous scoring chances and watched the gap expand throughout the second quarter. Gilbert continued to unravel as Wamogo pressed their defense and took a commanding 40-19 lead into the halftime break.

The second half was unfortunately similar to the first, as Gilbert could not cauterize Wamogo’s offense or counter their size advantage in the battle for defensive rebounds. Nash continued to post points throughout the affair, as did a number of other Jackets who found some late-night offense.

The game far out of reach, the Jackets unleashed the youthful core to pick up some significant varsity minutes. The girls took advantage of their time and put forward some impressive energy and hustle through the final minutes of the game. The Jackets took the tough loss against a tough opponent, 76-38.

Nikki Nash led the Jackets in scoring with 20 points. Kara Mochak, Nicole Crossman, and Jen Fritch finished with four points apiece. The Jackets’ record drops to 2-14.