Geneva can't overcome shooting woes

NORMAL - Their shooting touch deserted them at the worst possible time.

Geneva entered the final weekend of the girls basketball season having converted more than half of its field-goal attempts.

After misfiring 40 times against Young in the Friday semifinals, Geneva was unable to regain its collective eye against Wheeling in the consolation final.

The Vikings ended the weekend at less than 30 percent from the field after going 13-for-45 against the Wildcats in their 59-40 loss.

The shots that were routine during the regular season and initial rounds of the postseason became laborious.

From all over the court, the Vikings' efforts tantalized the rim, only to spin off, out and do everything but massage the net.

"We couldn't get it done on the offensive end," Geneva coach Gina Nolan said. "We didn't finish what we set out to do."

The inability to convert its countless opportunities was enunciated by the players as well.

"I think it was an adjustment for all of us (to play on a collegiate court)," said Geneva guard Taylor Whitley, who closed out her stellar four-year career with a team-best 12 points.

"Maybe we had an off-night shooting; we needed to finish better. I could drive better against Wheeling than I could against Whitney Young, but I just didn't finish."

"It's definitely a different environment down here," said senior guard Emily Hinchman. "(The shots) just weren't falling for us."

In a season defined by 52 percent-plus marksmanship from the field - and 57 percent Monday in it's supersectional win over New Trier - Nolan said the Vikings' shooting woes this weekend were not due to a lack of effort.

"(The larger court and different backdrops) didn't bother us at Loyola (in the supersectional against New Trier)," Nolan said. "We missed so many short shots. It can be attributed to a lot of things. That's part of the game. You have to give credit to the other teams' defenses."

Whitley tied the game at 27-27 midway though the third quarter with one of her patented slashing drives, but Geneva never recovered from a Wheeling counterattack that produced a 13-0 run.

On the Vikings' opening two fourth-quarter possessions, Whitley and Hinchman had good looks with medium-range jumpers that fell like bowling pins before the weekend.

But the conversion gods were not with the team this night.

"It was so frustrating," said Kat Yelle, who elevated her play during the postseason with career-high nights at the two Addison Trail sectional games. "There were so many shots that were just right there. I wouldn't use (the physical environment) as an excuse. We just weren't finishing our shots."

Nolan said the school would hold a special assembly on Monday morning to honor the girls' accomplishments.