It was a situation that the players on Sedona Red Rock High School’s girls basketball were all too familiar with — leading throughout the game against an undeniably quality opponent making a run in the fourth quarter. A season ago, it’s a game that the SRRHS team likely would have squandered. But against Valley Lutheran on Tuesday, Feb. 23, Sedona showed that — while the names and faces are largely the same — this year’s team is a lot different than last season’s.
The Scorpions absorbed the run that the Flames were making and not only did they maintain their lead but answered with a run of their own to close the game. Much to the delight of the boisterous home crowd, Sedona prevailed in the much-anticipated battle of the unbeatens, 47-32.
“They were really fast — definitely one of the fastest teams that we’ve faced this year,” SRRHS junior guard Nyah Valdez said. “But we were definitely able to match their speed. They made a run in the third quarter, but I think that we pushed through it and were able to maintain our lead throughout the game. I’m really proud of us tonight.”
One of the keys to the game came in the second quarter. The Scorpions led 15-5 after the first quarter but responded by scoring only six points in the second quarter. On paper, that was exactly what the Flames needed to get back into the game.
But while Sedona scored only six points, Valley Lutheran’s offense consisted of a single made free throw. With that, the Scorpions went into the locker room at halftime up 21-6. That gave Sedona the cushion needed to withstand the run that the Flames made through the later portion of the third quarter and into the fourth.
“To hold that team to six points, they’re probably averaging 65 to 70 a game,” Scorpions coach Kirk Westervelt said. “I always take pride in our defense And I knew they’d come back. It was just a matter of time. You weather the storm and hopefully make some shots and steals — and we did. Last year those were games that we lost.”
Valley Lutheran finished with only one player in double-digits, junior Grace Rohloff, who had 10. Senior Naomi Hernandez, who was honorable mention for the 2A Conference a season ago and is averaging 23.4 points per game this year, was held to only seven points.
Sedona sophomore guard Helen Westervelt led all scorers on the night, scoring 15 points. Valdez finished with 10 points while junior forward Stephanie Medel finished with eight. Sophomore guard Annabelle Cook and freshman forward Rachel Roderick both had six points each.
As significant as the win against Valley Lutheran on Tuesday was, it was only half of the battle. The oddities of the COVID-19 schedule had the Flames and Sedona facing off again 24 hours later, with Valley Lutheran hosting the rematch. Despite playing in the Flames’ gym, the Scorpions were even more dominant, leading 24-6 after the first quarter and 40-10 after three.
While Valley Lutheran got some cosmetic points in the fourth quarter, Sedona won 45-25. The two Scorpions captains, Valdez and Medel, led the way, scoring 16 points each.
The first win over the Flames moved Sedona to No. 3 in the AZpreps365.com poll, behind fellow undefeated Pima and Arizona Lutheran. New rankings are released on AZPrep365.com at 12 p.m. every Tuesday through Friday.
Both wins against Valley Lutheran moved the Scorpions to 12-0 overall and 9-0 in the 2A Conference and the 2A Central Region. With only two games remaining and holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Flames, Sedona has officially locked up the 2A Central Region championship.
“I’m so pumped. We worked our butt off,” Medel said. “For the first time in three years, we’re No. 1. That’s a big accomplishment. I think we’re doing really good.”
Sedona had two remaining home games scheduled, but both were canceled due to a positive test in the boy’s program. At least in terms of seeding, the girls team is all but assured of being the No. 3 seed in the 2A state tournament.
