Mojave slips past Shadow Ridge in girls basketball — PHOTOS
After building a 10-point lead over the first three quarters, Mojave’s girls basketball team pulled out a 64-63 road win over Shadow Ridge.
Finding itself tied at 59 with less than two minutes to go, the Rattlers (13-4) turned to junior Isabella Crawford, who delivered at the free-throw line to seal the victory.
Crawford was the primary reason Mojave built a 54-44 lead entering the fourth quarter. The point guard finished with 30 points, including 11 in the second half.
Shadow Ridge (5-5) opened the fourth quarter on a 15-4 run that coincided with sophomore Alexa Madsen’s return after sitting out the entire third quarter with foul trouble.
Mojave struggled to contain the 6-foot-2-inch power forward, who scored four quick points to tie the game at 59 with less than five minutes remaining. Madsen finished the night with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Free-throw shooting proved to be the difference late. With Mojave leading 62-61 and under a minute left, Madsen missed two crucial free throws. On the ensuing possession, Crawford was fouled and calmly knocked down both shots to extend the lead to 64-61.
“Basketball is a game of runs, and Shadow had theirs at the end,” Mojave coach Sequoia Holmes said. “I told my girls to relax, not get frantic, and keep your cool.”
As time wound down, Shadow Ridge point guard Kambree Graham hit a layup to cut the deficit to one point, but the Mustangs ran out of time.
Mojave jumped out early behind hot shooting. Crawford and freshman A’yanna Johnson each connected from 3-point range to spark a 10-5 lead, helping the Rattlers post a 24-point first quarter.
Johnson finished with 11 points and seven rebounds, providing a strong inside presence.
Mojave carried a 35-27 lead into halftime, when Shadow Ridge adjusted defensively to focus more attention on Crawford.
The Rattlers maintained their advantage despite the increased pressure, as freshman Jordyn Carroll stepped up with nine of her 14 points coming in the second half.
While Madsen sat during the third quarter, senior Jaslyn Jefferson kept the Mustangs close by scoring 14 second-half points. Jefferson finished with 22 points, including two 3-pointers.
As a younger 4A team, Mojave hopes the narrow win over a 5A opponent will pay dividends moving forward.
“This game is good for our confidence,” Holmes said. “We’re young, and we need to understand how to win.”
