FRIDAY PHOTOS

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Shoot-Out All-Tourney Team
Itzel Hernandez-Camacho, Catalina
Sara Boice, Desert Christian
Sydni Stallworth, Palo Verde
Brittany Haro, Rio Rico
Yesenia Fragoso, Sunnyside
Alexis Cortez, Tucson
Sydney Harden, Sahuaro
Chelsey Hunsaker, Sahuaro
Lyndsay Leikem, Flowing Wells
Shalise Fernander, Flowing Wells
Monica Islava, Nogales
Jay Fields, Casa Grande
Danielle Deatherage, Vista Grande
Jessica Jasso, Deming
Kenzie Rinehart, Deming

I’m not sure if she has a nickname yet but Flowing Wells forward Shalise Fernander became the “Difference” in my book when she scored 20 points to help settle a score against Tucson High Friday afternoon.

Flowing Wells (13-3) gave the Badgers (15-1) their first loss of the season during semifinal play at the Flowing Wells Shoot-Out and took over the top spot in Southern Arizona in the process. Both teams are clearly the top teams in Southern Arizona and it was uncertain if the two would get a chance to play each other this year because they are in different divisions but the Shoot-Out made it all possible.

Tucson came in with freshman standout Alexis Cortez and Flowing Wells brought all-state player and Indiana-bound Lyndsay Leikem but Fernander stole the show.

Cortez finished with 14 points and Leikem had 15 but Fernander scored 9 points in the first quarter alone to set the tone of the game. Cortez scored to put Tucson up 11-10 with 3 minutes left in the quarter but Leikem hit a 3-pointer and then Fernander scored 5 straight points to start a run that Tucson would never recover from.

“My coach told me that when I play focused I have the ability to carry the team,” explained Fernander. “We were really good as a team today and Lyndsay and I just feed off of each other.”

With Cortez and Leikem canceling each other out and Mikaela Cook (Flowing Wells-7 points) and Bailey Johnson (Tucson-5) doing the same, there was no one on Tucson’s side to offset Fernander and her team slowly pulled away for the 50-30 win.

Sahuaro (12-3) beat Desert Christian (15-3) in the other semifinal match to set up the championship against Flowing Wells.

Sydney Harden scored 14 points to lead Sahuaro against Desert Christian, Itzel Valencia-Gallegos scored 12, Reazsha Benjamin scored 8 and Alexis Romero and Jamie Holliday both added 6 each.

The teams were tied 21-21 at the half thanks to 11 points from Desert Christian standout Sara Boice but Sahuaro went on a 28-12 run in the second half for the 49-33 win.

Lexis Rorrer scored 6 for Desert Christian.

The title game was a match between the two top teams in Division II but it came down to the play of Flowing Wells sophomore guard Nadine Fermawi down the stretch to turn back any chance Sahuaro had at the end of the game.

Fermawi found herself in that position thanks to foul trouble from her teammates Fernander and Cook.

Things started out well for Sahuaro with Valencia-Gallegos pacing her team to a 7-1 lead with 5:45 left in the first but a bucket by Czarina Walker and a 3-pointer by Leikem erased the lead. Sahuaro fought right back and built a 18-9 lead with 2:50 left. Then came a 12-2 run by Flowing Wells to take a 21-20 lead with 4:36 left in the half.

Despite Fernander picking up her fourth foul with 2:15 left and Leikem her third with 1:37 left, Flowing Wells was able to widen their lead to 33-24 at the half.

Cook picked up her fourth foul with 6:38 left in third and Fernander fouled out with 1:37 left in the period but the lead increased to 47-33 anyway. Harden scored to cut the lead down to 47-35 in the opening moments of the fourth period but she was called for a controversial charging call moments later with Leikem on defense. The foul was her fifth so Sahuaro had to play the rest of the way without her. It was the turning point of the game.

Had Leikem picked up her fourth foul on the play then the last 7:35 of the game would have been more interesting but, as it turned out, Fermawi stepped up and scored the last 5 points of the game for Flowing Wells – playing her team to a 54-41 win.

“I’m just a sophomore,” said Fermawi. “My teammates were in foul trouble and a lot of expectations were put on me at the end. Coach had three choices on the bench and he picked me so I was happy I came through.”

Leikem scored 19 points, Fernander had 8, Cook had 6 and Fermawi finished with 7. Valencia-Gallegos scored 11, Harden scored 10 and Benjamin and Holliday had 7 each for Sahuaro.

In other action, Palo Verde dropped their first game 41-36 to Vista Grande despite 30 points from standout Sydni Stallworth. Palo Verde lost eight players to graduation including Adrianna Barrientez (Pima), Alicia Jones (Pima) and Darian Saunders (Missouri). Saunders is scoring 3 points a game for Missouri as a true freshman.

Stallworth was herself a standout freshman last year at Palo Verde and was the team’s third leading scorer. Now, she is the scorer.

Palo Verde went on to lose 35-29 to Sunnyside due to early foul trouble from Stallworth. Stallworth scored 7 points to stake Palo Verde to an early lead in the first period but she also collected three fouls and sat for a while.

Sunnyside took advantage and took an 18-14 lead at the half. Stallworth eventually helped Palo Verde cut the lead down to 29-28 with 4:15 left in the game but Yesenia Fragoso hit a big shot to put Sunnyside back up 31-28 a minute later and then Stallworth hit a free throw to draw within 2 points with 2:24 left.

Stallworth fouled out with 1:32 left in the game and Jasmine Hernandez made a bucket to put Sunnyside up 33-29 with 54.3 seconds left. Fragoso made two free throws for the final 35-29 margin.

Sunnyside was led by 16 by Anika Adams-Baker and 9 from Fragoso. Stallworth had 15 and Rachael Anderson had 8 for Palo Verde.

Nogales beat Catalina 53-23 in another early game in a balanced scoring attack. Janitza Vega had 11, Katie Bell 10, Alex Heredia 9 and Arlette Cabrera and Monica Islava had 6 points each. Kelli Rountree scored 15 and Itzel Camacho had 11 to lead Catalina.

Flowing Wells Girls Shootout

December 27-28

Friday, December 28
Casa Grande 61, Sunnyside 48
Vista Grande 41, Palo Verde 36
Deming 57, Rio Rico 39
Nogales 53, Catalina 33
Flowing Wells 50, Tucson 30
Sahuaro 49, Desert Christian 33
Sunnyside 35, Palo Verde 29
Catalina/Rio Rico
Tucson 45, Desert Christian 29
Deming 57, Nogales 40
Flowing Wells 54, Sahuaro 41

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 29th, 2012 at 7:31 am and is filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.