TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT: Grizzlies put last season behind them, start strong
Spring Valley’s girls basketball team won just one game last season.
The Grizzlies won twice as many games on the opening day of the 2014-15 campaign.
Sparked by freshmen Essence Booker and Kayla Harris, the Grizzlies rolled to a pair of victories Friday in the Season Tip-Off Tournament at Del Sol.
Spring Valley, which was 1-24 last year and won just 20 games in the past six seasons, opened with a 69-31 win over Eldorado and followed it up with a 72-34 rout of Cimarron-Memorial.
In the opener, Booker poured in 34 points, and Harris added 23 points as the Grizzlies never were seriously threatened.
Deasia Walker paced the Sundevils with 17 points.
In its nightcap, Spring Valley got 37 first-half points from Booker and Harris and downed the Spartans.
Booker had 19 of her 26 points in the first half. Harris, who had 18 points in the first half, finished with 20.
Alana Walker added 12 points for the Grizzlies.
Zaquae Downton led Cimarron with 10 points.
Cimarron-Memorial 55, Eldorado 31 — Amoura Whitney had 17 points as the Spartans downed the Sundevils.
Downton added 14 points, and Ashli Tyus scored 11 for Cimarron.
Walker had 22 points to lead Eldorado.
Green Valley 50, Needles 27 — Gracelle Garcia made four 3-pointers in the first half and finished with 15 points as the Gators topped the Mustangs.
Green Valley scored the first 17 points of the game before Brenna Chavez’s basket with 42 seconds left in the first quarter finally got Needles on the board.
Jane Antone had 13 points and Chavez 12 for Needles.
Green Valley 75, Faith Lutheran 55 — Garcia scored 21 points to lead the Gators by the Crusaders.
Ellee Barton added 19 points, and Milena Palor scored 13 for Green Valley.
Bryanna Neagle led Faith Lutheran with 20 points, and teammate Haley Vinson scored 15.
Faith Lutheran 47, Needles 32 — Vinson scored 10 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter to help the Crusaders down the Mustangs.
Morgan Hill added 13 points for Faith Lutheran.
Antone led Needles with 11 points.
Rancho 36, Sierra Vista 29 — Kyndal Ricks scored all five of her points during a 9-2 fourth-quarter run that helped the Rams top the Mountain Lions.
Maureen Macato and Jada Wilson each had 10 points for Rancho.
Danielle Morrow scored all 11 of her points in the second half for Sierra Vista, and teammate Kennedy Nieves added 10 points.
Las Vegas 48, Sierra Vista 41 — Adrina Collins had 10 points to help the Wildcats hold off the Mountain Lions.
Morrow had 10 points for Sierra Vista.
Rancho 45, Las Vegas 29 — Tatianna Lee scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half as the Rams rallied to beat the Wildcats.
Macato added 11 points — all in the second half — and Wilson scored 10 for Rancho.
Collins led Las Vegas with 10 points.
Silverado 45, Del Sol 36 — Monet Salazar and Lyric Knight each had seven points to lead a balanced attack as the Skyhawks downed the Dragons.
Azhwalaee Oliver paced Del Sol with nine points.
Silverado 58, Legacy 33 — Deja Siaki scored 17 points to help the Skyhawks pull away from the Longhorns.
Jessica Chamberlain added 10 points for Silverado.
Dani Livingston and Otilia Price each had seven points for Legacy, which made just 8 of 37 free throws.
Legacy 45, Del Sol 32 — C’Aree Stevenson scored 10 points to lead a balanced attack as the Longhorns downed the Dragons.
Oliver and Alina Marruffo each had eight points for Del Sol.