SUNRISE GIRLS: Pioneers’ defense foils Coronado pair

Dorothy Kendrick wasn’t wearing a top hat and cape, but the Canyon Springs girls basketball coach still acted like a magician on Thursday.

“I was pulling rabbits out of hats,” Kendrick said.

The Pioneers unveiled a triangle-and-2 defense in the third quarter and it made Coronado’s Sofie Cruz and Dajah Washington vanish during a 60-42 victory in the semifinals of the Division I Sunrise Region tournament at Green Valley.

Cherise Beynon had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead Canyon Springs (23-5), which faces Liberty (26-6) in the region final at 5 p.m. Friday at Green Valley.

“The momentum was on their side, and in order for us to go to the next level, we had to contain them,” Kendrick said. “That definitely changed the momentum.”

Cruz, the Cougars’ leading scorer at 15.5 points per game, was held to five. Washington scored 12 of her 13 points in the first half as Coronado (19-9) took a 27-24 lead.

However, the duo shot a combined 0-for-6 from the field after the break and scored four second-half points.

Ashley Johnson added nine points and 12 rebounds for Coronado.

“We competed all the way through,” Cougars coach Bill Crego said. “We weren’t in a position to be that aggressive because we had so many fouls.”

Mandy Chitwood and Daijhan Cooks added 10 points apiece for the Pioneers.

Beynon scored 11 points in the third quarter and helped spark an 18-2 run with a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give Canyon Springs a 41-34 lead.

“We knew we had to come out more aggressive,” Beynon said. “I’m the point guard and everyone looks up to me. I had to be a leader and step up and run the offense.”

Liberty 49, Las Vegas 43 — At Green Valley, Paris Strawther made only one basket in the fourth quarter, and it came in the nick of time for the Patriots.

Strawther scored on a putback with 22 seconds left as Liberty held off the Wildcats (20-9) in a semifinal.

“It wasn’t our best effort, but you’ve got to win games like that along the way, too,” Patriots coach Rich Santigate said.

Strawther finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots and helped Liberty take a 43-23 lead three minutes into the fourth quarter.

But Las Vegas took advantage of the Patriots’ sloppiness and put together a 20-2 run. Mariah Wilson’s layup off a nice feed by Shomari Harris cut Liberty’s lead to 45-43 with 28 seconds to play.

Sydney Clark missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Strawther hauled in the rebound and scored on her only shot of the quarter. Clark iced the game with two free throws with 11.6 seconds left.

Matti Ventling led the Wildcats with 18 points. Harris added 12.