Defense sparks Desert Oasis girls past Canyon Springs
By Bartt Davis Las Vegas Review-Journal
Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) drives baseline past Canyon Springs junior forward Ja’moni Brown (34) and junior guard Sydnei Collier (10) in the third quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) drives baseline past Canyon Springs junior forward Ja’moni Brown (34) and junior guard Sydnei Collier (10) in the third quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) slices to the rim past Desert Oasis junior center Desi-Rae Young (23) in the second quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis junior center Desi-Rae Young (23) shoots over Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) in the fourth quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) drives past Desert Oasis senior forward Ahmaya Smith (15) in the second quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis sophomore guard Olivia Bigger (11) converts a fast break layup past Canyon Springs junior center Brooklyn Knox (42) in the fourth quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Canyon Springs senior guard Kayla Johnson (23) converts a fast break layup over Desert Oasis senior guard Brianna Clark (4) the second quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis junior guard Eliyjah Pricebrooks (5) pushes the ball up court past Canyon Springs sophomore center Cashmere Hooker (33) in the fourth quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Canyon Springs junior forward Ja’moni Brown (34) shoots a jump shot over Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) in the second quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis junior center Desi-Rae Young (23) shoots over Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) in the fourth quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) shoots over Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) and
sophomore guard Olivia Bigger (11) in the second quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) boxes out Canyon Springs senior guard Jhane Richardson (4) in the second quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis junior center Desi-Rae Young (23) shoots over Canyon Springs junior center Brooklyn Knox (42) in the third quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis junior guard Eliyjah Pricebrooks (5) shoots a runner over Canyon Springs junior center Brooklyn Knox (42) in the fourth quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) grabs a rebound over Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) and senior forward Ahmaya Smith (15) in the third quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis senior forward Sierra Mich’l (30) drives baseline past Canyon Springs junior forward Jeanette Fine (11) in the third quarter on Friday, Jan. 18, 2019, at Canyon Springs High School, in Las Vegas. The Diamondbacks beat the Pioneers 54-25. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @BenjaminHphoto
Desert Oasis girls basketball coach Laurie Evans-Gygax says her team might have one of the best defenses in Southern Nevada.
The Diamondbacks backed up that claim Friday night.
Third-ranked Desert Oasis forced 35 turnovers and overcame some early struggles to post a 54-25 win at fifth-ranked Canyon Springs.
“When this team decides to play, they can play,” Evans-Gygax said. “When we pressure the ball and stay disciplined, we’re one of the best defensive teams in town. That’s what they did. They just picked it up on defense.”
The Pioneers entered Friday averaging 58.8 points, but were held to 7-for-42 shooting (16.67 percent), including an 0-for-14 mark in the first quarter.
Desert Oasis (12-4) still led only 22-13 at halftime. The Diamondbacks were 1-for-8 shooting with nine turnovers and trailed 4-3 after one quarter, but a left-wing 3-pointer by Melissa Simmons and a transition layup by Ahmaya Smith early in the second quarter righted the ship.
“Our best offense is always our defense,” said Evans-Gygax, whose team scored 26 points off turnovers.
Smith led Desert Oasis with 12 points, and teammate Desi-Rae Young came off the bench to score 10.
The Diamondbacks will face sixth-ranked Liberty at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at South Point Arena. Desert Oasis, Canyon Springs and Liberty are among the teams expected to compete for Class 4A state tournament berths.
“Normally, you don’t like to see nonleague games in the midst of the season, but this has worked out perfect for us,” Evans-Gygax said. “They’re talented teams, and we can kind of check ourselves to see where we’re at without it mattering (in the league standings).”
Jeannette Fine led Canyon Springs (16-3) with 12 points.
