Elite-8 6A Playoffs: Valley Vista at Mesa

On Tuesday, February 21st I attended the Elite-8 6A Playoff game with the #5 Valley Vista at the #4 Mesa.    Valley Vista senior starter [player_tooltip player_id='138097' first='Aamari' last='Chavers'] was ruled out with a concussion.    VV had the full court press on from the jump. Every score VV pressed. Mesa turned the ball over which led to scoring opportunities for VV.  [player_tooltip player_id='602888' first='Jada' last='Wilson'] led the early charge with 8 points and the Monsoon led 24-7.    More the same for the Monsoon and they led 38-15 at halftime. Their defensive pressure was too tough for them to score it consistently.   Mesa went on a 5-0 run to cut it to a 38-20 lead but [player_tooltip player_id='65617' first='Olivia' last='Arvallo'] scored right back to go back up to 44-20. They kept making it as hard as possible for [player_tooltip player_id='65619' first='Ashiian' last='Hunter']. 48-23 heading into the 4th quarter.   It was 52-25 with four Monsoon girls with 11 points each showing how balanced they were in this game.   Mesa went on a 14-8 4th qtr run to cut it to 60-39 but it was too late.    Valley Vista held on to win 69-45 to advance to the Final-4 of 6A.   <h2>Here were some of the standouts from the Elite-8 playoff game</h2>   [player_tooltip player_id='65617' first='Olivia' last='Arvallo'] Valley Vista   A scoring point guard is the heartbeat of the team. She has a quick burst to get to the rim and knows how to change speeds. Her first step makes her game go. She made a beautiful euro move to score and is very crafty with the pick and roll game. She has quick feet to defend on the ball and a super quick trigger from the three point line. She is probably a better passer then she gets credited with since she shoots it so well. 11 points with many assists and steals.   [player_tooltip player_id='602888' first='Jada' last='Wilson'] Valley Vista   A long wing defender moves fluidly and made the best of her opportunity with the surprise start. She scores it a variety of ways as she gets on the glass and will score on put backs, swooping hook shots, she can cross over her defender, she has a burst to score in traffic with either hand and can slip off the pick and roll for a layup. Her best part of her game though is her defense. She will defend point guards and then quickly switch onto post players. She has real length and is just scratching the surface. She scored a team high 17 points with many rebounds and a couple of blocks.   [player_tooltip player_id='205640' first='Jocelyn' last='Michelle Chavez'] Valley Vista    A skilled guard/wing who makes it look easy in stretches. She has a fluid handle and loves the runners. She has a thicker frame and can hesitate to get to the basket. She can pull-up off the dribble and sets her shot up in a blink of an eye. She handles it well and will step back off the bounce. She has plus length to defend in traffic and is a very good passer. 13 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='586382' first='Emma' last='Dasovich'] Valley Vista   A highly skilled power who truly knows how to play. She has a very strong base/frame. She consistently tries to seal her defenders to score and once she gains her position, it's two points. She truly understands positioning and has a huge IQ. She is a very good passer and will gobble up rebounds and block shots in her area.   [player_tooltip player_id='602941' first='Deja' last='Strong'] Valley Vista   A versatile combo forward who will defend wings and posts. She has a good motor to rebound as she attacks the glass plus has quick hands to collect steals and will block shots. She runs the floor well and the lefty gets to the line with her aggressive downhill play. She can rip thru and score and look for her to make a leap up next year.   [player_tooltip player_id='208237' first='Hannah' last='Young'] Valley Vista   A thicker framed power forward has stronger arms and carves out space to score. She loves getting downhill and has super strong hands to corral any board near her. She will hold her ground in the paint on defense and has a drop step plus can shoot it from mid-range. She had 11 points and 7+ rebounds.      [player_tooltip player_id='65619' first='Ashiian' last='Hunter'] Mesa   One of the top senior point guards in the state backed it up. Even though they were face guarding her almost the entire game, she still managed to score. She scored on step backs and often cut without the ball. She can pull-up off the dribble in bunches and has great open court speed. She is tough to score and-1's in heavy traffic and has impressive court vision. She sees the play happening quickly and she hesitates and blows by her opponents and will dime her teammates. She scored a game high 25 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='602908' first='Camille' last='Higginbothan'] Mesa   A good sized power forward moves well on the perimeter and is strong enough to handle the pounding inside. She can be a glue girl as she hustles on defense to collect steals plus grabs rebounds in and out of her area. She uses her longer arms and a stronger upper body to rebound, score it inside and be a defensive presence.   [player_tooltip player_id='602889' first='Tilley' last='Cummard'] Mesa   There is a long line of star Cummard boys that I have been watching for years. She is the younger sister of current junior Conway Cummard. She takes on the toughness of all the boys. She is a versatile wing who looks to be one of the centerpieces next year. She seems to always find the open spots as she literally keeps moving off the ball until she gets open. She is super tough and will fight you every possession with a big time motor. Her activity and desire to rebounds keeps many possessions alive. She can also drive to the rim to score and plays the passing lanes well. 9 points with many loose balls, rebounds, steals and floor burns.   [player_tooltip player_id='602907' first='Amya' last='Bekele'] Mesa   A thicker scoring guard has a nice handle and first step to attack off the dribble. She is always around the ball to get on the glass and hustles to make plays. She can make perimeter jumpers and get to the free throw line. She defends multiple positions with her stronger frame.   Josalyn McGuire CG 5'3 2023 Mesa   An undersized combo guard smartly moves without the ball. She cuts when she should and plays bigger than her height suggests. She has a strong build and good overall strength to handle the pounding inside to rebound. She will score or get herself to the free throw line.

On Tuesday, February 21st I attended the Elite-8 6A Playoff game with the #5 Valley Vista at the #4 Mesa.