ROUNDUP: Inexperienced Gator girls win opener

Green Valley’s season-opening girls basketball game probably wasn’t one for the archives.

But it was one in the win column.

The Gators, who returned only one starter from last year’s Sunrise Region runner-up squad, often looked like an inexperienced team on the floor but played just well enough to top visiting Valley 44-35 Wednesday.

“It’s a win, and that’s what I told the team,” first-year head coach Ashley Brooks said. “I have a lot of players who aren’t used to being in those roles, and they have to step up.”

Green Valley lost three seniors — Sarah Pickus, Jazmine Jarvis and Danielle Christenson — who combined to average more than 50 points per game last season, leaving role players and first-time varsity players to pick up the slack.

At times, the Gators showed visions of the teams that racked up 79 wins in the past three seasons. Green Valley used a 12-0 run in the final 3 minutes, 20 seconds of the third quarter to open a 39-25 lead.

And at other times, the Gators looked out of sorts, committing 31 turnovers and making just 11 of 34 free-throw attempts.

“There’s a lot of pressure on these girls, because everyone always looks at them like they’re the best,” Brooks said. “They’ve been at the top for so long. We lost a lot of key players.”

Shavon Stevens led Green Valley with nine points. Angelica Mack and Mackenzie Butler each added eight points, with Mack pulling down 14 rebounds.

“They have the talent; they have the ability,” Brooks said. “It’s just going to take a couple of games for them to realize it.”

The Gators played well defensively, forcing Valley’s offense to play mainly on the perimeter. Valley scored only eight baskets in the paint and shot 12 of 64 overall.

Shayna Porter paced the Vikings with 10 points, and Christina Davis added nine.

 

Bishop Gorman 40, Our Lady of Peace (Calif.) 26 — At La Jolla, Calif., Tonishia Childress tallied 11 points as the Gaels downed the Pilots in the opening round of the Sweet 16 Invitational.

Chelsie Pitt scored nine points, and Diamond Majors had eight points for Gorman, which will face either Highlands Ranch (Colo.) or Bradshaw Christian (Calif.) in the championship quarterfinals Thursday.

Adelson School 35, Word of Life Academy 29 — At Adelson School, Alexes Settle had 12 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Lions to the win.

Sueleika Blackwell supplied seven points and four steals for Adelson.

BOYS

Valley 65, Green Valley 60 — At Green Valley, Jarrett Coleman poured in 23 points, and the Vikings held off a comeback effort by the Gators.

Christian Kessee and O’Neil Brauthigam each added 12 points for Valley.

Keiannte Wilkins scored 20 points for Green Valley, which trailed 48-36 entering the fourth quarter. Austin Tebbs added 12 points, and Earl Thompson had 10 for the Gators.

Spring Mountain 39, Adelson School 36 — At Saville Middle School, Mathew Trapp scored 13 points, and Devonte Rash supplied 10 points and 12 rebounds to help the Eagles hold off the Lions.

Gabi Bornstein led Adelson with 12 points.