4A State Championship: Mesquite/Salpointe Catholic

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On February 29th, the <strong>Mesquite Wildcats</strong> took on the <strong>Salpointe Catholic Lancers</strong> in a battle for the 4A state title. In the opening quarter, the Lancers came out shooting the ball at a high rate. At the end of the first quarter, Salpointe was up 17-10. The 2nd quarter continued pretty much how the 1st had ended as Salpointe went on a 12-2 run as Mesquite struggled to score without senior [player_tooltip player_id='530990' first='Vanessa' last='Rae Sepulveda'], who didn't suit up due to an injury. Going into halftime, Salpointe had built a 33-16 lead. In the 4th quarter, the Wildcats continued to battle and got within six late, giving themselves a chance to win. In the end, the Lancers were able to hold off the Wildcats, winning the 4A state title <strong>59-49.</strong><br><br><br><strong>Here I look at some of the standouts of the game:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='371488' first='Sidney' last='Anderson'] <strong>Salpointe Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Anderson came out the gate on fire. Her shooting stroke is as good as anyone in the state. She also displayed the ability to score in different ways, like step-backs and two dribble pull-ups. Her defense was also stellar, with steals and a block. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='530987' first='Navae' last='Guidry'] <strong>Mesquite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Navae was more than a handful for the defense to stop. Her first step was hard to stop, especially since she could go either way. She is very good at drawing fouls and getting to the line. She goes to the paint-at-will en route to a double-double. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='558893' first='Taliyah' last='Henderson'] <strong>Salpointe Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The junior wing looked like she is on her way to being back to 100%. Her physicality and athletic ability are almost impossible to contain at times. She also stepped out and showed her range, hitting some perimeter jump shots. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='558898' first='Kahlia' last='Gonzales'] <strong>Mesquite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gonzales is a point guard, and there's a lot to like about her. She's a very good ball handler and knows when to be aggressive offensively and when to set up her teammates. She has a nice-looking perimeter shot out to the three-point line. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='601475' first='Jordan' last='Watts'] <strong>Salpointe Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jordan is a versatile wing that does a little of everything. She played good individual and team defense. On offense, she has a nose for the ball. She doesn't force the action and takes good shots within the flow of the offense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->