Willow Canyon/Betty Fairfax 5A Playoffs 1st Round

On February 15th the Girls Basketball 5A State Playoffs kicked off. I took in the Betty Fairfax/Willow Canyon game.   From the tip off the Lady Wildcats of Willow Canyon had a good game plan and attacked the Fairfax Stampede. They had a defensive strategy that included a zone defense that took a while for Fairfax to adjust to. Willow built up a 8-2 lead that caused Fairfax to call an early timeout. Following the timeout Fairfax goes on a run to tie the game at 12. The 1st quarter ended in a tie at 16. Fairfax made some adjustments of their own and got out to a 33-22 lead towards the end of the 2nd quarter. Going into halftime the Lady Stampede maintained a 38-25 lead.   The Fairfax full court pressure continued to turn over Willow Canyon throughout the 3rd quarter as they had trouble getting into their offense. Fairfax continuously extended the lead getting it to 47-29 and then to 56-31 at the end of the 3rd. In the final quarter the Stampede didn't let up defensively as they continued to make it difficult for the Lady Wildcats to get good looks. The final score was 74-39 with the Stampede advancing to the next round of the State Playoffs.   Here are some of the standout players from this game.   [player_tooltip player_id='558946' first='Mackenzie' last='Buckner'] Betty Fairfax   Buckner was limited by an injury but you couldn't tell. She showed her versatility by getting rebounds and initiating the offense when given the opportunity. Around the rim she was very efficient and when she did miss, she a lot of times got her own rebounds. On defense she used her length to disrupt the opposing team. She also displayed good passing skills and even stepped out and hit a 3 pointer. One of the top 2025 in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='511033' first='Dianalynn' last='Howell'] Betty Fairfax   Another sophomore for Fairfax who was a handful for the opposition. She showed good knowledge of how to position herself to be involved in a lot of plays. She is a load to handle in the paint and even showed the skills to step out and hit the 15-foot jumper. She also showed good efficiency as a rebounder using her body to seal the opposing player. [player_tooltip player_id='599375' first='Sarah' last='Karnitz'] Willow Canyon   The freshman guard showed the ability to shoot it and shoot it quickly. Her release made it tough for the defender to give her any space at all. A crafty ball handler as she also has hesitation moves to freeze the defender. On the defensive side she showed good instincts and court awareness. [player_tooltip player_id='599374' first='Savannah' last='Helms'] Betty Fairfax   The lead guard for the Stampede showed a very steady and poised floor game. She has a very good handle and showed good vision as she repeatedly looked for cutting teammates. She showed some flair for the spectacular as a couple of her passes even caught her teammates off guard. Going into the painted area she showed the ability to finish through contact with either hand. [player_tooltip player_id='509044' first='Saniya' last='Jones'] Betty Fairfax   The sophomore guard left her mark on the outcome of the game by doing more than just scoring. She was was a pest on defense with her athleticism by getting steals and deflections. Jones also showed that she is a smooth passer looking to rack up assists. One of the better all around prospects in her class. Mariah Preston SG 5'6 2023 Willow Canyon   The senior guard was a two standout for the Wildcats as she was in constant motion and looking to set up teammates for good looks. She handled the ball well and passes with either hand. On defense she displayed toughness as she battled for rebounds and loose balls. Vocal leader who stayed engaged with teammates. [player_tooltip player_id='513103' first='Victoria' last='Ballard'] Betty Fairfax   Ballard led the way defensively for the Stampede as she collected a handful of steals and caused multiple jump balls by tying up the ball handler. It got to the point where whoever she was guarding didn't want to bring the ball up the court. She attacked the ball how I love to see a defender do and that's as if the ball belonged to her. Her impact was not limited to just defense as she showed a very good looking shot from the perimeter. Dakota Gilbertson C 6'3 2023 Willow Canyon   The senior post player was a load to handle for the young Stampede especially early on. She finished around the rim very well in limited attempts. She kept the ball very high on offense in an effort to keep the ball away from smaller defenders. She ran the floor very well and made herself available for touches in the painted area. As a rebounder she was very efficient and once again kept the ball high as she secured the ball.

On February 15th the Girls Basketball 5A State Playoffs kicked off. I took in the Betty Fairfax/Willow Canyon game.