MHS girls basketball downs Cienega, on to state quarterfinals for big rematch (video)

The Maricopa High School girls’ basketball team punched their ticket to the Arizona Interscholastic Association Division II Girls’ State Basketball Tournament quarterfinals with a win over Cienega High School Friday night.

The Rams came out cold in Friday’s game but used a highly productive second half to run away with a 59-39 victory.

“I can think back to myself being a player and having that last playoff game,” head coach Melvin Mitchell said. “I still have regrets from that moment and I don’t want these guys to have any of those regrets. So I just tried to reiterate the fact that we have seven seniors and they need to go out there and lay it all on the line for us.”

Maricopa utilized a constant rotation of players to keep everyone fresh, and the payoff was evident as the Rams’ endurance didn’t dissipate down the stretch. As the game reached the fourth quarter, Maricopa was able to use pressure defense and fast breaks to exploit holes Cienega.

“I think early on in the season it was our Achilles heel that we didn’t have the bench we have now,” Mitchell said. “Just getting some of those guys involved and keeping them active and making sure everyone is fresh is part of the game plan. It’s vital to have those guys come in.”

Like most games throughout the season, Maricopa entered Friday’s matchup undersized. However, for the players, this was nothing new.

“We’re used to being undersized,” senior forward Raegene Womack said. “We’re not a big team. We just work with it.”

In fact, 5-foot-6 senior Danae Ruiz led all scorers with 22 points.

“We just work together perfectly,” junior forward Tyra Williams added.

The Rams will have their resilience put to the test more than ever when they face top-ranked Seton Catholic High School in the quarterfinals.

In their only meeting this season, Seton Catholic beat Maricopa 76-36. The Rams beat the Sentinels in last year’s state championship game.

“I’m looking forward to what our coach has in mind to get us prepared for this next Seton game,” Womack said. “I know we have to run, but other than that, I’m ready to play them.”

Seton Catholic enters the quarterfinals as the top-ranked team in the state (across all divisions) and a top 25 team in the nation, according to the “Xcellent 25 Writer’s Poll.”

“I think we just have to play to our strengths,” Mitchell said. “We can’t let the team in front of us dictate what we’re going to do on the basketball court. We have a lot of work cut out, but I think we can definitely do it.”

The quarterfinals are set to tip-off Tuesday at 7:45 p.m. at Gila River Arena in Glendale.

MHS Girls v. Cienega

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