LIBERTY INVITATIONAL: Patriots cruise by Legacy in title game

Liberty’s girls basketball team entered the current campaign with a few question marks after losing nine seniors from last season’s team to graduation.

The Patriots got their answers this weekend by steamrolling the competition in their post-Thanksgiving tournament.

Kaily Kaimikaua had a game-high 23 points, and London Pavlica scored 13 on Saturday to help the Patriots to a 70-29 win over Legacy in the championship game of the Liberty Invitational.

The Patriots finished the two-day tournament 4-0, and outscored its opponents 275-94.

“We definitely wanted to come out and take care of our tournament and come away with the championship,” said assistant coach Tracy Antonio, who was filling in for Chad Kapanui while he’s coaching football in Reno. “Overall, we felt it was a good tournament. They played tough. We were happy with the girls’ play.”

Much like the team had done all tournament, Liberty got off to a strong start on Saturday. The Patriots opened the game on an 18-0 run and didn’t allow Legacy to score until the 3-minute mark of the first quarter.

Damijah Yarbrough hit 1 of 2 free throws make it 18-1. Legacy’s Rory Carter had the team’s only two field goals in the quarter, as Liberty led 24-6.

“We were really stressing communication, defensive rotations and positioning,” Antonio said. “Those are the big things we’re going for right now. We saw a big difference in that today. Team basketball was what we really had to get into. We don’t have the seniors that we usually have on our team and we’re pretty young, so we’re going to rely on total team effort, from our bench and starters.”

After building a 38-8 lead in the second quarter, Liberty had its only lapse of the tournament. The Patriots gave up a 16-2 run to Legacy to end the quarter and had their once-big lead trimmed to 40-24.

“They kind of let up a little bit on defense,” Antonio said. “The communication was lacking. Our rotation was lacking.”

That run gave Antonio his halftime speech, as he pointed to the scoreboard and yelled, “That’s unacceptable defense” to his players.

The Patriots responded and gave up only three points in the third quarter to grab a 62-27 lead. The entire fourth quarter was played with a running clock.

Dre’una Edwards and Alexis Tomassi each had nine points for Liberty.

TaEha Pankey had 12 points to lead Legacy (3-1). Despite the loss, the 5-foot-6-inch junior was selected the tournament’s Most Valuable Player by coaches.

Kaimikaua and Edwards highlighted the all-tournament team for the Patriots.

“That’s going to be our one-two punch for the season,” Antonio said. “Kaily is phenomenal. She can do it on the defensive and offensive side. Drea, being the big that she is, she has those guard skills that are pretty dangerous.”

Clark’s Marieka Dent, Las Vegas’ Raymani Bordenave and Armonnie Byrd, Legacy’s Carter, Palo Verde’s Abbey Hoegh, Rancho’s Courtney Plumer and Kyndal Ricks, and Valley’s Sondra Scroggins also made the all-tournament team.

Faith Lutheran 53, Palo Verde 39 — Maddy Larson led three double-figure scorers with 17 points to help the Crusaders down the Panthers for third place.

Bryanna Neagle had 12 points, and Kendall Larson scored 11 for Faith Lutheran, which led 31-17 at halftime.

Ariana Davis had 17 points, and teammate Kedrena Johnson added 16 points for Palo Verde.

Las Vegas 59, Clark 40 — Bordenave had a game-high 19 points, and Byrd scored 14 to lead the Wildcats by the Chargers.

Dyonne Peterson added 10 points for Las Vegas.

Adia Williams had 11 points to lead Clark, and teammate Julie Reid scored 10.

Palo Verde 63, Valley 57 — Hoegh scored 20 points, and Davis added 13 points as the Panthers outlasted the Vikings.

Johnson had 10 points for Palo Verde, which led 36-27 at halftime.

Valley’s Jeuzel Pollins led all scorers with 24 points. Scroggins had 11 points, and Kiara Brown scored 10 for the Vikings.

Liberty 62, Rancho 17 — Kaimikaua scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the third quarter as the Patriots routed the Rams.

Edwards added 16 points for Liberty, which led 14-2 after the first quarter and 31-14 at halftime.

Ricks led Rancho with nine points.

Legacy 41, Faith Lutheran 39 — Pankey hit a go-ahead layup with seven seconds to play, and the Longhorns’ defense held tough on Crusaders’ final possession to earn the win.

Pankey finished with 14 points, and Maiah Yearwood added eight points for Legacy, which trailed 24-16 at halftime.

Neagle had 12 points, and Larson scored nine for Faith Lutheran.

Clark 53, Valley 50 — Reid had 19 points, and Dent scored 15 as the Chargers used a big fourth quarter to rally past the Vikings.

Haley Daniels had 10 points for Clark, which trailed 38-34 after three quarters.

Scroggins had 20 points, and Debra Schuster scored 11 for Valley.

Rancho 44, Las Vegas 29 — Ricks hit three 3-pointers and scored 15 of her 30 points in the third quarter to lift the Rams over the Wildcats.

Lea Williams added 10 points for Rancho.

Bordenave led Las Vegas with 15 points.