Cheyenne wins, clinches playoff spot in girls basketball

Senior Sabrina King scored 22 points as visiting Cheyenne knocked off Mojave 56-42 on Thursday to clinch the final spot in the 4A Sunset Region girls basketball playoffs.

The Desert Shields (8-15, 6-8 Northwest League) finished in a tie for fourth place with Mojave but won the tiebreaker to advance to the postseason.

Cheyenne, which closed the regular season with three straight victories, will meet top-ranked Bishop Gorman at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the opening round.

“I’m so excited,” first-year Cheyenne coach Neil Balint said. “It was a fantastic win. I’m so proud of the ladies.”

The Desert Shields trailed for most of the first half before using two runs in the second half to take control. Cheyenne went on a 10-0 spurt in the third quarter to turn a 23-21 deficit into a 31-23 advantage midway through the quarter.

After the Rattlers (10-18, 6-8) closed within 32-30 late in the third on a putback by Clarissa Cannon, Cheyenne answered with a 14-0 run over the final part of the third quarter and opening four minutes of the fourth to go up 46-30.

“Our full-court press, the whole time, caused a lot of havoc,” Balint said. “I think in the second half our defensive intensity really picked up.

“We were on the ball, on the floor and going for loose balls.”

Taryn Hicks added 14 points and Amanda Fluker 10 for the Desert Shields.

Cannon finished with 12 points, as did Jazzmine Robinson, to lead Mojave.

Mojave opened an early 9-2 lead before the Desert Shields responded with an 11-2 run that stretched over the first and second quarters. Robinson hit a 3-pointer for the Rattlers with 5:20 left in the second quarter, and Mojave led 21-18 at halftime.