Catalina Foothills/Canyon View 5A Semifinal

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On February 28th the <strong>Catalina Foothills Lady Falcons</strong> traveled to Waddell to take on the <strong>Canyon View Lady Jaguars</strong> in a 5A Semifinal battle for a chance to compete in the championship game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Canyon View came out on a mission from the jump. The Lady Jags jumped out to a 14-2 lead. Towards the end of the first quarter Catalina Foothills switched to a zone in a effort to slow down the Lady Jags. At the end of the first quarter Canyon View had a 23-13 lead. The second quarter was a battle as the scrappy Lady Falcons fought to stay within striking distance. Canyon View had a decisive 45-27 lead at the end of the second quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third quarter showed just how resilient the Lady Falcons are. They came out of halftime more energetic and went on a 9-1 run closing the gap to 46-36. Catalina continued to build off of the momentum by getting the lead down to 50-45 at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth and final quarter Catalina got their first lead at 53-52. It appeared to take all of the air out of Canyon View but the Lady Jags continued to fight. After a 9-2 run Canyon View got back in the drivers seat. Some excellent free throw shooting by the Lady Jags sealed it for them winning <strong>72-62.</strong> </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Here are some of the standout players from this game. </h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='608450' first='Jaila' last='Flowers'] <strong>Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The freshman came out and made a statement in the first quarter. She could not be guarded one on one and the zone didn't do much better. Her quick first step going left or right repeatedly beats defenders. Jaila also contributed on the boards. She even hit a three showing her versatility. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='208047' first='Reilly' last='Clark'] <strong>Catalina Foothills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior did what she could to give her team a fighting chance. She hit an array of shots from three's to pull up mid range jumpers to and 1's in the paint. She hit some clutch shots with multiple defenders in her face. She has quick hands defensively and was a pest on defense.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='608451' first='Aaliyah' last='Rogers'] <strong>Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The freshman guard is crafty and quick off the dribble. She has the ability to adjust while cutting into the lane. Despite being small she is a very good rebounder. One of the better freshmen in the state. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='558901' first='Clara-Mae' last='Hrouch'] <strong>Catalina Foothills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A coach on the floor is how Hrouch plays. She's very vocal in making sure that her teammates know what their assignments are. She's very tough and isn't afraid to get on the floor to get the ball. Even though scoring isn't her role she is a very good shooter. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='608452' first='Bernadette' last='Carranza'] <strong>Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The freshman point guard ran the show well beyond her years. She handled the Catalina Foothills pressure very well. She is very quick and has a good change of pace with the ball. On defense she is very good with on the ball pressure and keeping the ball handler uncomfortable. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='608444' first='Mercy' last='Martinez'] <strong>Catalina Foothills</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martinez is a young building block for the Lady Falcons and there's a lot to be excited about. She's a versatile wing player offensively as well as defensively. On offense she shoots it with confidence while also being able to put it on the floor. She is probably their best defender as she has the ability to defend multiple positions. Mercy is one of the better up and coming players in Southern AZ.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='205659' first='Mia' last='Burgess'] <strong>Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another upperclassmen who led by example. She sacrificed some of her offense to be that vocal leader that her teammates needed. She battled and kept the team focused down the stretch. She plays with good pace and composure as displayed by playing the whole game and not committing a single turnover. She led the Lady Jags with more than double digit rebounding performance.<br><br><strong>Avery Spickler PF 5'9 2023 Canyon View</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The senior showed leadership by providing stability for the young Lady Jags when their big lead disappeared in the second half. She was a clutch eight for ten from the free throw line in the last few minutes and her energy was contagious. She pretty much stepped up and said “foul me” because I'm gonna knock them down and she did just that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->