#8 Salpointe Catholic/#1 Desert Vista - Open Elite-8

On February 17th the Lancers of Salpointe Catholic traveled to Phoenix to take on the top ranked Desert Vista Thunder in a game that would decide who moved on to the Final Four of the Open Division Playoffs.   Salpointe started out in a zone in an effort to slow down the high powered Thunder. DV came out hitting from deep in an effort to pull Salpointe out of the zone. Desert Vista jumped out to a 8-2 lead by pushing the tempo and keeping the defense on it's heals. Before you knew it the lead doubled to 16-4. By the end of the 1st quarter the Thunder built up a 23-8 lead. In the 2nd quarter it was more of the same as Desert Vista stretched the lead to 35-13. Midway through the 2nd quarter DV switched to a zone of their own. The lead was 42-18 at halftime.   In the 3rd quarter Salpointe continued to battle in an effort to reduce the deficit but Desert Vista had built up too much momentum. At the end of the 3rd quarter the lead for DV had increased to thirty 59-29. The fourth quarter saw Desert Vista empty their bench so that the reserves could get action. The final score was 66-48.   Here are some of the standouts from this game.   [player_tooltip player_id='558892' first='Jerzy' last='Robinson'] Desert Vista   The freshman phenom didn't disappoint the crowd in this game. She was hitting from all three levels from the very start of the game. She finished through contact, she showed a beautiful pull up mid range jumper, and shot the three with deep range. When she's clicking like she was in this game, she is pretty much unstoppable.   [player_tooltip player_id='558893' first='Taliyah' last='Henderson'] Salpointe Catholic   Henderson did all she could do to keep the Lancers in the game. She's a smooth left handed forward that created not only for herself but for her teammates. She glided up and down the court with ease as she is very athletic. She's a very good passer as she looked to pass out of double and triple teams. On offense she showed the composure to not hunt for shots but to look for open teammates with better looks.   [player_tooltip player_id='203873' first='Shay' last='Ijiwoye'] Desert Vista   A tough point guard ran the show for the Thunder very well against Salpointe. She was all downhill and showed her ability to finish with either hand. Shay was not only a load penetrating to the rim but she was hitting three's well beyond the three point line. I love that she takes pride in her defense and maintains active hands throughout the game. Top player in her class.   [player_tooltip player_id='339069' first='Michaela' last='Fairwell'] Desert Vista   There's a lot to like about Fairwell as she is super versatile and made an impact in multiple phases of the game. On offense she showed the ability to grab the rebound and push the ball up court. She has good ball handling skills and takes long strides on her way to the rim. On the defensive side of the ball she showed good lateral quickness and used her length to give the opposing team constant problems.   [player_tooltip player_id='558902' first='Hannah' last='Williams'] Salpointe Catholic   The talented sophomore forward showed that she is a handful in the painted area. She rebounded very well with a good nose for the ball as it is coming off the rim. On offense she gets very good position and knows how to use her body. She displayed potential as a passer especially out of double teams.   [player_tooltip player_id='205646' first='Eanae' last='Dagons'] Desert Vista   A quick defensive minded guard brought energy and effort to the game as soon as she checked in. She was a pest on defense getting steals and deflections throughout the game. On offense she showed a good burst off the dribble and even knocked down a deep three.   Bria Medina PG 5'6 2023 Salpointe Catholic   The senior guard was on the court the entire time before fouling out. She did a good job of running the show and getting her teammates looks especially considering the defensive pressure they were facing. She's a very good ball handler and knows when to get the ball to people at the proper time. She plays the lead guard position with a high IQ.   [player_tooltip player_id='601475' first='Jordan' last='Watts'] Salpointe Catholic   Watts showed potential for a big leap going into her junior year. She showed her ability as a versatile scorer as well as a defender. Even though she didn't shoot it at a high percentage she showed her potential as a 3 point shooter by knocking down a few contested shots. She wasn't afraid to go in and battle for rebounds as well.

On February 17th the Lancers of Salpointe Catholic traveled to Phoenix to take on the top ranked Desert Vista Thunder in a game that would decide who moved on to the Final Four of the Open Division Playoffs.