The opening round of the girls Division II state tournament might as well have been played on a track, as the Ironwood Ridge girls basketball team ran Goodyear Desert Edge out of the building in a 59-45 win Wednesday night.
The No. 12 Nighthawks advanced to the second round where they'll travel to face fifth-seeded Mesa on Friday at 7 p.m.
I-Ridge ended the first quarter with a 19-11 lead, but Desert Edge inched back to trail 27-23 at halftime. After the break, the Nighthawks used runs of 7-0 and 9-0 to pull away with a double-digit lead.
“I think the emphasis was on defense was the difference tonight,†I-Ridge coach Nikki Simpson said. “At halftime, we talked about if we're going to be successful we have to play solid team defense and we came out and did that and pushed the ball in transition.â€
Sophomore guard Natalie Bartle scored a game-high 22 points, as senior forward Lexy Ram added 14 and sophomore guard Tessa McCall chipped in with 11.
People are also reading…
“I'm feeling great, we get to move on to the next round in the state tournament,†McCall said. “If we can stay together and be positive, I feel like we're going to go really far in this tournament.â€
Last season, I-Ridge made it to the state semifinals as the No. 8 seed, but ultimately, Maricopa came away with the state title as the No. 12 seed. Simpson doesn't see why it can't be the Nighthawks who make a surprise this year.
“I'm excited for them because I know what an opportunity this is and I want this team to experience something similar to last year's team,†Simpson said. “It's a lot of work and a big commitment, but it's worth it.â€
-Chuck Constantino
No. 13 Sahuaro 42, No. 20 Scottsdale Notre Dame 38
Seniors Sydney Harden and Reazsha Benjamin both posted double-doubles to aid No. 13 Sahuaro in avenging a first-round upset against Scottsdale Notre Dame two years ago.
While the score at the end looked close at 42-38, the Cougars controlled the opening-round game from start to finish. Sahauro (16-3 overall) will travel to play at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ High on Thursday to take on the No. 4 Badgers (19-1) at 7 p.m.
The Cougars lost to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ 54-48, in their only meeting earlier this season.
Sahuaro has won 11 of its last 12 and is hoping to reach the state quarterfinals for the second year in a row. The Cougars last reached the state final in 2001.
In its current run, Sahuaro been getting it done with defense
“We played like a team that hasn’t played in a week,†Sahuaro coach Steve Botkin said. “I thought we were a little rusty. We tried to do a little too much on offense. They actually penetrated a lot on our defense which worries me a bit; we’ve got to go to the drawing board tomorrow.
"When you get to this level here, a win is a win and being able to go on the next level is what it’s all about.â€
Benjamin finished as the Sahuaro's leader in both scoring and rebound with 16 and 11, respectively.
Harden tied and set the program’s career scoring mark with pair of free throws in the third quarter, giving her 1,445 career points.  She finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the win.
Harden almost had herself a triple-double with an impressive eight blocks.
The Cougars hit 6 of 8 free throws over the last 1:09, including three of four from junior Elena Arriaga. Harden was 7 for 10 from the foul line.
-Jason Harris
No. 15 Scottsdale Saguaro 48, No. 18 Canyon del Oro 47
Junior guard Leila El-Ali scored 23 points for Canyon del Oro but the No. 18 Dorados fell just short, with a 48-47 loss at No. 15 Scottsdale Saguaro. CDO finishes the season with a 17-11 record.
Girls Division III state tournament, first round
No. 11 Yuma Cibola 65, No. 22 Nogales 46
Eleventh-seeded Yuma Cibola rolled past No. 22 Nogales for a 65-46 win on Wednesday night, setting up a second-round showdown against sixth-seeded Pueblo. That game will be played at Amphitheater High School on Saturday at 6 p.m.
STATE BASKETBALL
BOYSÂ DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
First round – Thursday, 7 p.m.
No. 23 Queen Creek at No. 10 Catalina Foothills
No. 21 Nogales at No. 12 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
No. 19 Peoria Sunrise Mountain at No. 14 Cienega
No. 18 Tempe Marcos de Niza at No. 15 Salpointe Catholic
No. 17 Rincon/University at No. 16 Avondale La Joya
Byes: No. 6 Sunnyside
GIRLSÂ DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 9 Cienega 48, No. 24 Marana 40
No. 12 Ironwood Ridge 59, No. 21 Goodyear Desert Edge 45
No. 13 Sahuaro 42, No. 20 Scottsdale Notre Dame 38
No. 15 Scottsdale Saguaro 48, No. 18 Canyon del Oro 47
Second round – Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 13 Sahuaro at No. 4 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
No. 9 Cienega at No. 8 Maricopa
No. 12 Ironwood Ridge at No. 5 Mesa
BOYSÂ DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 11 Pueblo 62, No. 22 Flowing Wells 48
No. 15 Phoenix Moon Valley 50, No. 18 Cholla 38
Second round – Friday
No. 11 Pueblo vs. No. 6 Fort Defiance Window Rock at Chinle HS, 6 p.m.
GIRLSÂ DIVISION III STATE TOURNAMENT
First-round results
No. 11 Yuma Cibola 65, No. 22 Nogales 46
Second round – Saturday
No. 11 Yuma Cibola vs. No. 6 Pueblo at Amphitheater HS, 6 p.m.
BOYSÂ DIVISION IV STATE TOURNAMENT
First round – Friday
No. 19 Globe vs. No. 14 Pusch Ridge Christian at Prescott Valley Event Center, 1:30 p.m.
GIRLSÂ DIVISION IV STATE TOURNAMENT
First round – Friday
No. 24 Chandler Prep vs. No. 9 Desert Christian at Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain, 4:30 p.m.
No. 20 Phoenix Bourgade Catholic vs. No. 13 Pusch Ridge Christian at Prescott Valley Event Center, 3 p.m.
No. 18 Tanque Verde vs. No. 15 Phoenix Country Day at Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain, 3 p.m.
BOYSÂ DIVISION V STATE TOURNAMENT
First round – Friday
No. 20 Many Farms vs. No. 13 St. Augustine Catholic at Yavapai College, 7:15 p.m.
Byes: No. 2 The Gregory School
GIRLSÂ DIVISION V STATE TOURNAMENT
First round – Friday
No. 16 The Gregory School vs. No. 17 Phoenix ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ College at Yavapai College, 1:30 p.m.
