Salpointe Catholic stuns Saguaro to advance to 4A qurterfinals
The no. 10 Salpointe Catholic Lancers upset the no. 7 Saguaro Sabercats on Wednesday night in the first round of the 4A playoff bracket. Saguaro came into the game off a nice break since they automatically qualified for the post…
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Continue ReadingThe no. 10 Salpointe Catholic Lancers upset the no. 7 Saguaro Sabercats on Wednesday night in the first round of the 4A playoff bracket. Saguaro came into the game off a nice break since they automatically qualified for the post season, while Salpointe Catholic had to play in the in play-in round, where they defeated
The first eight minutes of play was a back and forth battle for the two teams. Salpointe Catholic jumped out to an early 6-0 lead, looking to set the pace for the game. However, their lead didn’t last for long, as Saguaro went on a 12- 0 run to take the lead. Their lead was short lived, though, as Salpointe then went on an 8-0 run to close out the quarter with a 14-12 lead.
Salpointe Catholic took that momentum with it into the second quarter, getting two steals and forcing a turnover within the first minute and a half. While the Lancers were the more physical team, the Sabercats weren’t doing themselves any favors as the quarter went on. Sloppy passes, missed rebounds and turnovers all led to Salpointe Catholic jumping out to a 32-23 lead.
Saguaro looked to have made some adjustments in the half and started playing more aggressively, but Salpointe Catholic was still the more physical team. Saguaro put their best foot forward in the third, but a couple of controversial calls by the officials didn’t help them. At the end of the third, the Sabercats were still trailing 45-36.
With just eight minutes remaining in the game, both teams left it all on the court, but unfortunately for Saguaro, Salpointe Catholic just had more in the tank to go along with their lead. The Lancers defeated the Sabercats 63-54.
Salpointe Catholic had a number of girls who played well tonight. Sophomore Tessa Hastings had 12 points on the night, while junior Jaya Nelson had 17.
Salpointe Catholic will advance on to face no. 2 Shadow Mountain in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. The game will take place on Saturday night, Febrauary 22nd, at 7 p.m.