CastillejaBasketball.com Official Blog

Zelinger Ties Own School Record with 33; Gators Win 100th Straight Game When Leading After Third

Eve Zelinger tied her own school record with 33 points in a win at the Bentley Shootout Saturday over Liberty Christian. Zelinger hit a season high five three-pointers on her way to tying the schools single game scoring mark while recording the 30th 20-point game of her career. The Gators also had Ericka von Kaeppler score 20 points, marking the first game in school history with a 30-point and 20-point scorer. The victory is Castilleja’s 100th consecutive win when leading at the end of the third quarter. The Gators jumped on top of the Patrios quickly with Zelinger scoring seconds after the opening tip. Liberty tried to slow down Castilleja with a timeout just two and a half minutes in, but couldn’t cool down Zelinger, who finished with seven assists and ten rebounds for her 25th career double-double, and Ericka von Kaeppler who just missed her 40th career double-double with nine boards in a addition to her team-high five blocks. Castilleja extended their lead in the second quarter keeping Liberty off the scoreboard for the first 6:30 of the quarter, while Natasha von Kaeppler sat with three fouls. Castilleja would cruise to another comfortable victory, their sixth straight and third in-a-row by 20 or more points. Tayo Amos recorded four thefts in the victory, tying her career high set in last night’s league win at Notre Dame – San Jose.

Notes: Castilleja’s last loss when leading at the end of the third quarter came on December 15, 2003 at the hands of San Benito Hollister. That defeat snapped a streak of 27 straight wins when leading after three making Castilleja 127-1 their last 128 times leading after the third quarter.

Castilleja Individual Single-Game Scoring Records
33---Eve Zelinger vs. Liberty Christian (@ Bentley), February 7, 2009
     Eve Zelinger @ Notre Dame - San Jose, January 12, 2007
30---Eve Zelinger vs. Urban, December 10, 2008
29---Eve Zelinger @ Forest Lake, December 6, 2008
28---Eve Zelinger vs. Mercy Burlingame, January 11, 2008
     Eve Zelinger @ Woodside Priory, January 26, 2007
     Nikki Perlman @ I.C.A., January 16, 2004
     Mika Peterman vs. Hollister (@ Oak Grove), December 15, 2003
     Karen Ring vs. Notre Dame - San Jose, January 30, 2001

Gators Slow Down Skippers; Zelinger Becomes School’s All-Team Leading Road Scorer

Castilleja stepped right back into the championship picture with a rout of host Mercy San Francisco Tuesday night. The Gators, making their first trip back to San Francisco since their league championship clinching win last season, got off to a slow start and trailed 4-0 early in the game. Eve Zelinger (20 points, 10 rebounds, five assists) broke the seal for the Gators in the opening, and by doing so, became the first player in West Bay Athletic League history to score 500 career league points. With Zelinger’s bucket, the Gators would outscore Mercy 18-5 the remainder of the first quarter and appeared to be in control. The second quarter featured little offense as the two teams combined for only seven points over the first seven minutes of the period. However, in the final minute of the half, Castilleja reeled off eight straight points pushing their lead from eight to sixteen. A Mercy layup at the buzzer cut Castilleja’s halftime lead to fourteen. Castilleja would put the game away in the third as they did most of their damage on layups and 12-foot jump shots with Eve Zelinger scoring eight of her game high 20 in the third frame. Zelinger also surpassed Mika Peterman to become the school’s all-time leading scorer in road games. The Skippers were held without a field goal in the third period and it wasn’t until three minutes were gone in the fourth period before they converted their first bucket of the half as they missed their first 19 shots. The Gators received double-doubles from Zelinger, Ericka (17 points, 10 reb, three assists, four blocks) and Natasha von Kaeppler (18 points, 11 rebounds, three assists). Laura Rose added eight rebounds and a career high three assists marking the first time in school history four players tallied at least eight rebounds and three assists. Castilleja moves into a tie with Mercy San Francisco for second place behind Pinewood in the WBAL – Foothill Division.

Notes: Castilleja’s 55 points is the most in school history when only having three players score…The 30-point margin of victory is the most for either team in their 18 matchups while Mercy San Francisco’s 25 points is an all-time low against Castilleja.

Castilleja All-Time Scoring Leaders - Road Games
Player                      G   PTS
Eve Zelinger, 2007-         30  550
Mika Peterman, 2001-2005    38  536
Ericka von Kaeppler, 2006-  36  432
Nikki Perlman, 2001-2005    42  395
Karen Ring, 1999-2003       31  343

Fewest Players Scoring in a Single Game
No  Date      Opponent           PTS  Players (PTS)
3   01/27/09  @ Mercy S.F.       55   Zelinger (20), N. von Kaeppler (18), E. von Kaeppler (17)
3   12/16/04  Branson (@ Urban)  28   Peterman (14), Perlman (8), Powers (6)
3   01/23/09  Pinewood           23   E. von Kaeppler (17), Zelinger (4), Rose (2)

Gators Blowout Host Forest Lake; Win First Ever Tournament

Castilleja claimed its first ever Forest Lake Invitational Championship in seven tries with a win over host Forest Lake Saturday night.The Gators wasted little time in putting away Forest Lake, who beat Castilleja in the championship round two years ago.  The Gators were sparked by Eve Zelinger (six assists, four steals) who scored 25 of her game-high 29 points in the first half, breaking the record school for points in a half of 23 set last year at the Invitational by Ericka von Kaeppler.  Zelinger’s 29 points is the 2nd highest game total in school history topped only by her 33-point performance as a freshman.  Natasha von Kaeppler (four assists) added a career-high 26 points, ten of them coming in the third quarter.  In addition to Zelinger’s 29, the two became just the second pair of teammates in school history to score 25+ in the same game.  Laura Martinez added a career high four assists in the victory. Ericka von Kaeppler, Natasha von Kaeppler, and Eve Zelinger were all named Tri-Most Outstanding Player for the tournament.

Notes: Zelinger is now only seven points shy of surpassing 1,000 for her career, a feat matched only by Castilleja standout Mika Peterman…Ericka von Kaeppler needs only two points to join Peterman, Zelinger and Nikki Perlman in the 900 point club.

Two Players Scoring 25+ Points in a Single Game
Date      Opponent                   Players (PTS)
12/06/08  @ Forest Lake              Zelinger (29), N. von Kaeppler (26)
11/30/07  Wheatland (@ Forest Lake)  Zelinger (27), E. von Kaeppler (25)

Castilleja Individual Single-Game Scoring Records
33---Eve Zelinger @ Notre Dame - San Jose, 1/12/07
29---Eve Zelinger @ Forest Lake, 12/6/08
28---Eve Zelinger vs. Mercy Burlingame, 1/11/08
     Eve Zelinger @ Woodside Priory, 1/26/07
     Nikki Perlman @ I.C.A., 1/16/04
     Mika Peterman vs. Hollister (@ Oak Grove), 12/15/03
     Karen Ring vs. Notre Dame - San Jose, 1/30/01

Castilleja Invidual Single-Half Scoring Records
25---(1st) Eve Zelinger @ Forest Lake, 12/6/08
23---(1st) Ericka von Kaeppler vs. Wheatland (@ Forest Lake), 11/30/07
20---(1st) Eve Zelinger @ Mercy Burlingame, 1/31/08
19---(1st) Eve Zelinger vs. Harker, 1/15/08
     (1st) Eve Zelinger vs. Mercy Burlingame, 1/11/08