Valley Christian tops Maricopa

Brittany Parks led the Rams with 16 points Monday night, but Maricopa fell to Chandler’s Valley Christian Trojans 54-50.

The game started on a rough note for the Rams when a quick penalty was called against Dee Streety just seconds into the game. But this did not stop the Rams’ defense, which continued to play tough against the Trojans, forcing turnovers throughout the game and out hustling the opponent throughout the first quarter, ultimately outscoring the Trojans 18-16.

The second quarter saw much the same in the action. Senior Jasmine Melvin was able to use her size and strength inside, tipping in several missed shots by her teammates. Meanwhile, Parks was able to use her speed around the perimeter to help open up shots for herself and her teammates. Added to this was a tenacious team defense, topped off by the aggressive play of Senior Erin Litchfield.

Even with all of this, the Rams found themselves trailing at halftime 26-27.

The game remained close through most of the third quarter as the Rams and Trojans exchanged multiple leads throughout the half. Midway through the quarter, however, Valley Christian switched defenses, moving to a full court press designed to put pressure on the Ram ball handlers. The move paid off as the Trojans went on a 9-2 run to end the quarter.

The Rams were able to bounce back quickly, racking up several points early in the fourth quarter and bringing the lead back down to only 2 points. With 3:45 remaining in the game, Melvin suffered a serious knee injury and was forced to sit out the rest of the game. Although the Rams clearly missed her presence inside, they were able to apply force on the Trojan offense with the same kind of pressure that had worked against them earlier in the game.

With only 16 seconds in the game, the Rams were able to pull within two points of the Trojans on a pull up jumper by Litchfield. However, the Trojans were able to convert both free throws on the ensuing possession, and the Rams were unable to score a basket from that point out.

The loss brings the Rams’ record to 1-1 on the young season, while improved to 4-0 overall. Next up for the Rams is a home game against South Pointe High School tonight, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m.

Photos by David Vargas