Monarch Title IX Classic: Pinnacle/Sandra Day O’Connor

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On January 30th Monarch Sports presented the Title IX Classic. This was a doubleheader consisting of four playoff teams. The first matchup was the <strong>Pinnacle Pioneers</strong> taking on the <strong>Sandra Day O'Connor Eagles</strong>. Pinnacle jumped out to an early double-digit lead as they struggled to get an offensive flow going. SDO was down 24-13 at half but outscored the in the 3rd getting the lead down to 4 points heading into the 4th quarter. In the final quarter, Pinnacle was able to withstand multiple runs and pulled out the victory <strong>59-49.</strong><br><br><br><strong>Here I look at a few of the standouts:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='558895' first='Heather' last='Stedman'] <strong>Pinnacle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stedman was aggressive from the tipoff. She scored in a variety of ways. She absorbed contact well and finished thru contact which is one of her better skills. Heather knows how to use her body to negate defenders attempting to block her shots. As good a scorer as there is in the state.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='205654' first='Thalia' last='Daniels'] <strong>Sandra Day O'Connor</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thalia started slow but stepped up big in the 2nd half as she got more aggressive offensively. She showed off her range from the 3-point line and her ability to finish in the paint. She almost willed her team to a victory. One of the top unsigned seniors in the state.<br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='825620' first='Norah' last='Moo'] <strong>Pinnacle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You can tell Moo is beginning to get comfortable in her new surroundings. She was a load to handle in the paint. She was hard to keep off the glass on both ends due to her size and her motor. She actively goes for rebounds in and out of her area. She has an enforcer mentality and can wear opposing teams down. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='603672' first='Audrey' last='Bhesania'] <strong>Sandra Day O'Connor</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bhesania has a smooth game as anyone around. She played the 1-3 all at the same time. She can get to spots that most players her size can't. She had some very nice passes while looking to set up her teammates. She will be a major factor in how far the Eagles can go in the playoffs. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='205642' first='Mia' last='Singstock'] <strong>Pinnacle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mia is a senior leader for the Pioneers, and it showed. During a few of the SDO runs she kept her composure and quietly either knocked down shots or made key passes to help maintain the lead. She knows how to get good shots and her release is as quick as anyone's from the outside. <br><br>[player_tooltip player_id='808288' first='Rylee' last='Fraley-Gonzales'] <strong>Pinnacle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rylee played an excellent floor game. She didn't over dribble and played the way a point guard is supposed to. She showed good speed in the open court and always looked to make the right pass. Her ability to facilitate makes it easier for her seniors to concentrate on scoring the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->