Junior Josie Butler scores a layup against visiting Pleasant Grove High School on March 7, 2012. Palo Alto lost the game 66-56.
– David Lim
[[nid:30322 half right]]In its last game on the court this season, the Palo Alto High School girls’ basketball team (10-3) came out looking physical and aggressive against Pleasant Grove High School (10-1) but fell, 56-66, in the first round of the North California Playoffs today in the Big Gym.
The game concluded with the Vikings having missed 14 out of 23 free throws, and Pleasant Grove scoring 25 points of 34 free throws, a statistic that proved vital to the game’s outcome, according to Palo Alto head coach Scott Peters.
“It was a close game,” Peters said. “When we started fouling at the end, that was the difference. It was 56 all with a couple minutes left.”
Despite the overwhelming number of missed free throws, the coach praised the girls for having played a strong game. Senior power forward Emilee Osagiede agreed that the team had given its all.
“I thought we played hard and I thought we really did try our best,” Osagiede. “It was kind of sad that we couldn’t make our free throws, but at the same time it shows that we lost the game because of free throws and not because we’re a bad team. I think it’s better to lose off of not making free throws than to lose just because you weren’t going hard.”
Updates to follow.