Tuesday’s match up was one in the making. I spoke with Skyview head coach, Chris Kemm prior to the game, he told me that this one has been circled for a while and his squad was ready to come out and compete. After a slow start in the first, his team did just that, improving to 8-2 on the year with a 21-point victory over Manual, 49-28. With their victory tonight, the Wolverines quieted the home crowd with their defensive efforts, improving to an opponent’s average of 26.4 points per game so far this season.
Manual was on the board first with a banked three pointer by junior Jackie Salazar. The Wolverines were quick to respond and found themselves with a 7-3 lead three minutes into the game. The Lady Bolts found some life after a nifty spinning hook shot from the elbow dropped from senior Rose Watson, but as Skyview’s offense began to simmer, their defense came alive, stifling any further attempts by Manual to regain the lead.
Watson got the scoring going to start the second to cut the lead to within one basket, but Skyview answered right back to once again extend their lead to two possessions. From there the Wolverines found themselves on a 6-2 run over the course of two minutes to take a 17-9 lead before another three pointer by Salazar swung the momentum back in favor of Manual. Lady Bolts senior Jasmine Mack-Styles connected on an and-one attempt to once again bring Manual to within a single basket. A timeout helped Skyview regroup and they finished the second with a strong effort on both ends to take a 25-17 lead into the break.
The second half was all about defense for Skyview. The Wolverines held Manual to only 11 points the entire second half. Great anticipation defense and efforts to swarm the ball handler created turnovers as their offense capitalized with 24 points. Despite losing junior guard Thalia Guardiola to a non-contact ankle injury, Skyview was able to keep their composure and rally as a team to hold off Manual and go home with the win.
Game Notes:
Skyview:
Thalia Guardiola left the game with a non-contact ankle injury in front of the Skyview bench. She later left the game with her family for medical evaluation, as she was unable to put pressure on her right foot. Senior guard Aylin Novelo finished with a team-high eight points. Forwards Jennifer Jaramillo (sophomore) and Hannah Wolfe (junior) each finished their night with six points.
Manual:
Senior guard Jasmine Mack-Styles finished the night with a game-high ten points. Senior forward Rose Watson showed grit, and determination on both ends as she ended her night with seven hard points in the paint. Junior guard Jackie Salazar also finished with seven points, connecting on two from beyond the arc, flashing some range.
