Pioneers senior power forward Olivia Gill drives the ball into the paint during a 53-52 overtime win over Rio Linda on Monday, Jan. 8. (Sean Holko/Daily Democrat)
On June 11, 1997, Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan played the infamous “Flu Game” in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. More than a quarter-century later, senior power forward Olivia Gill plays for the Pioneer High School girls varsity basketball team.
Gill, the Golden Empire League’s reigning MVP, nearly missed Monday’s 53-52 overtime win over Rio Linda due to illness. However, she didn’t want to let her team down and gave her best to compete. Gill scored a game-high 18 points, and the Patriots (17-2, 3-0 GEL) needed every field goal to extend their winning streak to 14 games.
“Olivia has been really sick all weekend. She had a fever this morning and wasn’t doing too well. Thank God she’s back to health and can play tonight! She’s (Michael) Jordan-esque. Jordan, Kobe (Bryant) liked to come out and play even though he was sick. You do what you have to do,” Trail Blazers coach Sean Goldston recalled Monday night. “She brings toughness and she showed that tonight. She’s there no matter what. She doesn’t want to let her team down, not at least try.
“She lays in bed, takes her meds and rests all day. Anytime you need her in a game, if she gets hurt, she doesn’t care, she’s going to get back out there. I like her fight, her attitude and her coachability. I think She’s a great teammate and she’s loud enough for all the girls to listen to her. She hits those big shots when we need her to. To me, she’s the ultimate athlete.”
The Patriots have won 16 consecutive GEL games, with their last league loss coming on February 4, 2022 at Dixon.
“It’s a brutal job. When you go into a game, no matter how these teams have looked in the past, you know they’re going to give you 100 percent,” Gill said Monday. “You go in and you can’t relax. If we want to win these games we need to give everything we have. In training we keep trying to get better because we know no matter who we play we can bring out the best in them optimal level.”
The Blazers’ second-leading scorer on Monday was junior forward Payton Thorpe with 13 points. Thorpe has made huge leaps forward this season and Goldston attributes his growth to training with Gill every day.
“The head-to-head confrontation with Olivia really pushed her to her limits. She pushed Olivia, Olivia pushed her, and the stealing compounded the stealing,” Goldston explains. “Olivia is mentally tough, can hit outside jumpers, and has a perfect work ethic. It was transferred to Payton because she practiced early and late, and Olivia did the same thing. She got there early. , started working on her shooting form from the inside out. It also had an impact on Payton, (senior center) Marissa (Christian) and some of the JV girls. They saw her come in early and she was a very Good role model.
“We always talk about ‘leaving a legacy,’ and that’s the legacy you want to follow.”
Gill was named the Basketball GEL MVP as a junior following the 2022-23 season. She ranked third in blocks (33), fourth in kills (150) and seventh in hits (0.145%) before being named to the first-team volleyball team as a middle hitter. The Patriots won the GEL championship with not only an undefeated league record but without dropping a set.
“She really made a big impact in clutch situations,” Pioneer varsity volleyball coach Anne Carter said late last year. “When she stands up, her hands are up high and she’s right on top of the ball and it’s hard to catch it on the other side of the net. “She’s been giving us huge kills all year long, so this A really good addition to our game. “
The Patriots return to Tree City to face Mesa Verde on Wednesday night. The Pioneers will face crosstown rival Woodland (1-11, 0-3) on Tuesday.Both GEL games will begin at 7 p.m.
“Competitive games always bring out the best games,” Gill predicted. “We always have our moments and have our moments. We still have to go in with the same mentality because we know what we’re going to face. In our competitive games, you know the girls you’re playing. “You know what’s going to happen. , but you try your best not to let it enter your mind. “