SIERRA VISTA GIRLS: Mountain Lions find title by crashing boards

Sierra Vista’s girls don’t expect to lead the basketball world in rebounds.

Undersized and sometimes overmatched, the Mountain Lions tend to pick up more points from their guards than in the post.

But in the championship game of their own Sierra Vista Invitational on Tuesday, the Mountain Lions crashed the boards hard — and repeatedly.

Sierra Vista grabbed 25 offensive rebounds — the last a crucial one off a missed free throw with less than 10 seconds left in overtime — and held off Canyon Springs, 71-66, in the title game.

“We preached it, preached it, preached it to the kids,” Sierra Vista coach Lindsay Whalen said. “When we played them (Monday), they grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds.”

With the Mountain Lions holding a 67-66 lead, Marley Wakeen missed the second of two free throws with 9.4 seconds left.

Nicolette Grigsby stepped behind and around a Canyon Springs player to grab the rebound and converted it for a stick-back basket with 7.8 seconds left, extending the lead to 69-66.

“Nicolette does a pretty good job of using her body and getting around players,” Whalen said. “That was huge.”

Teena Baxter added two free throws after a Pioneer turnover to seal the win.

The Mountain Lions squandered a 46-34 lead and needed Jeanette Jackson’s three-point play with 13.7 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.

Canyon Springs took a 64-59 lead early in the overtime, but Sierra Vista remained poised and rattled off eight-straight points to take the lead for good.

“It’s big for our younger kids like Marley and A’Yanna (Johnson). You can’t simulate this in practice,” Whalen said. “It helps a lot.’

Sierra Vista made only 27 of 80 shots, but the Mountain Lions’ 25 offensive boards gave them plenty of second chances.

Jackson scored 29 points. Johnnie Pride added 12 points, and Baxter and Wakeen each had 10. Grigsby pulled down 12 rebounds.

Kenosha Wright had 17 points and 18 rebounds for the Pioneers. Shante Thomas had 17 points and Diamond Broadus added 12 for Canyon Springs.

Sierra Vista 53, Durango 32 — Sierra Vista used an 18-5 second quarter run and a 13-5 third-quarter run to pull away from the Trailblazers in the semifinals.

Jackson led the Mountain Lions with 16 points. Wakeen added 11.

Cherelle Hicks paced Durango with 14 points.

Canyon Springs 51, Sylmar (Calif.) 49 — Wright scored 10 of her 29 points in the fourth quarter as the Pioneers held off the Spartans in the other semifinal.

Leticia Pelayo scored 27 points for Sylmar.