TURKEY TOURNEY: Gators set torrid pace, claim title

Five games deep into its season, Green Valley’s girls basketball team has sent a clear message to future opponents.

Be ready to keep up ... or else.

The Gators put on an offensive clinic in the two-day Turkey Tournament at Silverado, finishing it with a 95-81 win over Liberty on Saturday in the title game.

In five games, the Gators scored 425 points, and one of those games was played with a continuously running clock for the entire second half.

“In the offseason, these girls worked so hard. They put in the effort,” Green Valley coach Lorenzo Jarvis said. “Every day they try to get better.”

Senior guard Jasmine Jarvis, who earned tournament Most Valuable Player honors, scored 129 points in five games, including 28 in the title tilt. Senior forward Sarah Pickus wasn’t far behind with 25 points in the finale and 120 in the five games.

Pickus played the championship with an injured finger on her left hand.

Green Valley used a quick-strike transition office to rattle off a 22-3 first-half run and take control of the game.

“We run so much in practice, and we play everything in practice like it’s a game, so having three games in one day, we didn’t really get tired until the end,” Pickus said. “We have a lot of speed, and we’re able to get our posts up the floor.”

The Gators extended their lead to 36-15 by the midway point of the first half and never let the Patriots get closer than 13 points the rest of way.

Green Valley won the Sunrise Region title last year but appeared to have a big question mark when it had to replace graduated senior post Vajae Robinson.

In stepped Angelica Mack, and off went the Gators again. “I can’t say enough about her,” Coach Jarvis said.

Danielle Christenson added 22 points and Mack 14 in the championship.

Despite the large deficit, Liberty, which won its first four games in the tournament, didn’t quit.

The Patriots trailed 72-46 before cutting Green Valley’s lead to 91-78 in the final minute.

Amanda Delgado led Liberty with 37 points. Phoebe Baker added 17 and Destiny Whitehead 10 for the Patriots.

Green Valley 92, Durango 39 — Pickus had 29 points and Jarvis 26 as the Gators routed the Trailblazers in a main bracket quarterfinal.

Mack scored 12 points for Green Valley, which led 59-21 at the half.

Amanda Boucher and Jasmine Thomas each had nine points for Durango.

Green Valley 66, Silverado 35 — Jarvis and Pickus combined for 35 points in the first half as the Gators  began the game on an 18-2 run and never looked back en route to advancing to the championship.

Jarvis finished with 28 points, and Pickus scored 21. Angelica Mack added 10 points for the Gators.

Shea Collins paced the Skyhawks with 14 points.

Silverado 60, Legacy 53 — Collins and Natalie Lainhart combined to score all but 13 of Silverado’s points as the Skyhawks outlasted the Longhorns in a main bracket quarterfinal.
Collins had 28 points and Lainhart 19.

Shakita Cox led the Longhorns with 17 points. Breanah Manley scored 13 and Latia Matthews 11 for Legacy.

Silverado 57, Foothill 53 — Collins forced overtime by sinking three free throws with six seconds left in regulation, and the Skyhawks outscored Falcons 9-5 in the extra period to take third place in the tournament.

Collins finished with 20 points, and Lainhart scored 13 for Silverado.

Bri Higgins led Foothill with 20 points. Breanna Frazer scored 13 and Cheryl Harless 10 for the Falcons.

Foothill 47, Canyon Springs 37 — Higgins scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half to help the Falcons stop the Pioneers in a main bracket quarterfinal.

Frazer added 13 points for the Falcons.

Faith Harper led Canyon Springs with 15 points.

Liberty 55, Foothill 31 — Whitehead scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half as the Patriots pulled  away in the second half and earned a spot in the championship game.

Liberty led 20-14 at the half.

Harless paced the Falcons with 13 points.

Liberty 64, Desert Pines 53 — Delgado poured in 22 points, and the Patriots overcame a 29-21 halftime deficit to advance to the main bracket semifinals.

Daynice Cochran added 18 points and Whitehead 13 for Liberty.

LaBrea Walker led the Jaguars with 28 points. TaQuiyyah Boyles added 14 points for Desert Pines.

Canyon Springs 59, Desert Pines 57 — Harper’s stick-back basket off a missed free throw with 13 seconds left lifted the Pioneers over the Jaguars.

Ashley Jones made the first of two free throws to tie the game with 14.6 seconds left as Canyon Springs  scored the final eight points of the game.

The Pioneers trailed by as many as 12 in the second half.

Harper had 16 points. Kenosha Wright added 14 points, Shante Thomas 12 and Diamond Broadus 10 for Canyon Springs.

Walker paced the Jaguars with 23 points. Cydney Miles added 11 points for Desert Pines.

Canyon Springs 48, Legacy 43 — Skotasia Thomas and Wright each scored 11 points to help the Pioneers secure fifth place.

Kayla Murray paced the Longhorns with 11 points.

Legacy 63, Durango 31 — Cox led a balanced attack with 13 points to help the Longhorns roll past the Trailblazers.

Aubriana Hayes added 12 points, and Manley and Mickayla Hicks each scored 10 for Legacy.

Jasmine Thomas had nine points for Durango.

Shadow Ridge 45, Cimarron-Memorial 36 — Elisha Hensey and Niki Lawson each scored 11 points to help the Mustangs top the Spartans.

Leilani Blanco led Cimarron with 12 points.

Shadow Ridge 62, Western 61 — Hensey’s 21 points helped the Mustangs secure ninth place with a win over the Warriors.

Sabriya Brooks and Angeline Almagure each added 10 points for Shadow Ridge.

Daresheoun Lee and Michelle Simon each had 22 points for Western.

Western 40, Las Vegas 37 — Simon scored 17 points, and the Warriors started the second half on an 18-5 run to down the Wildcats.

Lee added 11 points for Western, which held on after taking a 37-26 lead.

Milana Jones paced the Wildcats with nine points.

Las Vegas 46, Cimarron-Memorial 39 — Brianna Melton’s 12 points helped the Wildcats defeat the Spartans in the 11th-plase game.

Cassidy Howard had nine points for Cimarron.

Durango wins by forfeit — Durango defeated Desert Pines by forfeit in the seventh-place game.

All-Tournament Team — Along with Jarvis being named MVP, Pickus and Christenson earned spots on the all-tournament first team.

They were joined by Silverado’s Collins, Liberty’s Whitehead and Foothill’s Higgins.