LADY WOLVES TOURNEY: Defensive-minded Longhorns top Basic

Legacy's girls basketball team finished with its third-lowest point total of the season Wednesday at Basic.

It didn't matter because the Longhorns delivered one of their strongest defensive performances of the year.

Legacy didn't give up a field goal until 3:18 left in the second quarter and forced 21 turnovers in its 35-10 win over the Wolves in a consolation game of the Lady Wolves Holiday Tournament at Basic.

Marshall Metro (Ill.) beat Brentwood (Calif.) 72-30 in the championship game.

"We wanted to try and end (the tournament) on a positive note," Legacy coach Tiffany Richardson said. "This was our first win of the week. We've been playing well. We just haven't been winning."

Legacy (6-8) lost its first three games in the tournament — all to California schools — by a combined 21 points. But the Longhorns easily broke through in their final game.

Legacy led 8-0 after the first quarter and grabbed a 15-0 lead with 5:20 to go in the second quarter. Basic's Destiny Byrd got fouled while hitting a floater in the lane for a three-point play and the team's first points.

"I didn't notice until they actually scored," Richardson said of the early shutout. "We were playing good defense. They were helping each other, switching, talking on defense. That really helped out a lot. …

"This game, they really did put focus on defense. I've been telling them their defense can feed their offense. I'm glad we had a game like this, so maybe a light bulb in their head can go off. I don't know much about Basic. But I know we played a good team game."

Freshman Rory Carter led all scorers with 10 points off the bench for Legacy, which had a 19-3 lead at the break. Teammate C'Aree Stevenson, who scored the game's first six points, finished with nine points, four rebounds and three steals.

"(Stevenson) is my leading scorer, my defender and she's at the top of the zone. She does everything for me," Richardson said.

Richardson believes it was Skyler Bradley that gave the Longhorns their intensity for 32 minutes. Bradley had six points and eight rebounds and was a keyed the defense in the paint.

"I must admit, I haven't been paying too much attention to her," Richardson said. "She stepped up defensively early and I think that set the tone for the rest of the girls. … I'm just proud of (her) today. She really stepped up in the absence of our starting center."

Byrd had six points and five rebounds for Basic (6-6). The Wolves made just three field goals and went 3-for-11 (27.3 percent) from the free-throw line.

Brentwood (Calif.) 53, Canyon Springs 33 — A.J. Simmons scored 16 points to help the Eagles down the Pioneers in a semifinal game.

Dani Shapiro had 14 points for Brentwood, which also got nine points from Paula Pastur.

Dayonna Maddox had 15 points, and Alexia Thrower scored 12 for Canyon Springs.

Desert Pines 45, Rancho Buena Vista (Calif.) 36 — Jordan Bailey hit three 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points to lift the Jaguars by the Longhorns in a consolation game.

Chrystian Myles added 15 points, and See'Airrah Evans-Collins scored eight for Desert Pines, which led 28-21 at halftime.

Kendall Crosby and Maggie Ross each had eight points for Rancho Buena Vista.

Basic 56, Tech 30 — Tajza Eddings scored 11 of her 17 points in the first half, and the Wolves cruised by the Roadrunners in a consolation game.

Amanda Sanchez added 10 points for Basic, which led 32-10 at halftime.

Tayler Muwwakkil led Tech with nine points.