Inexperienced Gators girls win season 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 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 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 scored eight, and Mack pulled 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 from the field.

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

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