Gators dominate boards, Silverado

Silverado’s girls basketball team had 16 days to try to figure a way to work around Green Valley’s post players.

And early in Thursday’s game, the visiting Skyhawks seemed to have neutralized Gators seniors Aja Flippen and Vajae Robinson.
It didn’t last.

Flippen finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds and Robinson had eight points and 12 rebounds as the Gators beat Silverado 61-45 to wrap up the Southeast League title.

Green Valley finished with 26 offensive rebounds, 11 by Flippen.

“Tonight was just a total team effort,” Gators coach Lorenzo Jarvis said after his team capped a second straight 14-0 league season. “I’m just proud of our girls. We got great efforts out of everyone, and Aja really stepped it up on the glass. She came up huge.”

Green Valley (25-3) dominated inside, outscoring Silverado 46-18 under the basket. The Gators didn’t shoot great, making 27 of 75 attempts, but their offensive rebounds gave them second, third and occasionally fourth tries at the basket.

Silverado (22-5, 12-2 Southeast) would have clinched the Southeast’s No. 1 playoff seed with a victory, and the Skyhawks led 13-12 after Shea Collins’ jumper early in the second quarter.

But a basket by Green Valley’s Jazmine Jarvis triggered a 12-0 run that gave the Gators the lead for good.

“It’s always a tough game against them,” coach Jarvis said. “The nerves were there early for us, and it took us a while to get back to doing the things we have to do.”

The Gators weren’t tough only on the boards. They forced 17 turnovers through three quarters, often by anticipating well and jumping into the passing lanes.

“We have a lot of athletes,” coach Jarvis said. “We’re a lot quicker team from player one to player 11 than we were last season.”

Jazmine Jarvis led all scorers with 17 points, and Danielle Christenson added 12 for Green Valley.

Alena Evans topped the Skyhawks with 16 points and 15 rebounds, grabbing 10 boards in the second half. Shea Collins supplied 10 points.