Balanced Falcons blow out Gators

Foothill's girls needed a little shot in the arm after losing three of four games in a tournament in California last week.

What the Falcons got Wednesday was far more than just a simple boost of confidence.

Foothill played exceptionally well from start to finish, turning a battle for a share of first place in the Southeast League into a rout early and cruising to a 75-24 home win over Green Valley.

"When we play as a team, this is what we can do," said Foothill coach Mike Collins, whose team is tied with Liberty at 3-0 in the Southeast League. "We've got the confidence."

The Falcons (6-3) won only once in four tries against a tough field in last week's Orange County Championships in Huntington Beach, Calif. The losses were Foothill's first of the season.

"There were some stretches in California where we just became individuals," Collins said.

But there wasn't any carry-over.

Foothill began the game on a 17-4 run, and Green Valley (10-6, 2-1) never seriously threatened.

The Falcons shared the ball well, seemingly always finding the open shooter.

Bri Higgins had 14 of her 20 points in the first half and added seven blocked shots and six rebounds as the Falcons dominated the paint.

Foothill had a 51-36 rebounding edge, including 22 offensive rebounds.

Ten Falcons scored, with freshman Danielle Morris coming off the bench to chip in 10 points.

"We try to get eight scorers every game, and we try to even it out," Collins said. "It's tougher to play defense on an entire team than it is on just one person. It's easy to defend one person. That's not the case with us anymore. It's no fun when the rabbit's got the gun."

Where the Falcons really shone, though, was on defense.

Taylor Collins added four blocked shots as the Falcons limited Green Valley to 8-of-47 shooting and forced 26 turnovers.

Angelica Mack had nine points and 10 rebounds for the Gators.

"It's about defense. If we play defense, we can be OK," Mike Collins said. "We pressured the ball. We pressured their passes. It also helps that we have two of the best shot blockers in town."

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.