“If you look good, you feel good, if you feel good, you play good, if you play good, they pay good.”
Deion Sanders’ famous words were fitting for the Sedona Red Rock High School girls basketball team — looking good in sleek new jerseys — in its 2A Central Section contest against visiting Northland Preparatory Academy on Friday, Jan. 13. While the team, of course, does not get monetary payment, it did earn a 45-12 victory and maintained its undefeated record.
The Scorpions [19-0, 4-0] faced off with the Spartans for the second time this season, winning 58-9 on Dec. 9 during the fifth annual Sedona Shootout.
“We wanted to try some things out offensively and on our press, so we were able to do that,” Red Rock head coach Dave Moncibaez said. “And some of the JV girls got some varsity time, and all in all they did well, executed and it was a good day for them.”
The starters played the entire first quarter, and built a 28-0 lead on 13 of 18 shooting. Sixteen of those points came off of turnovers.
“It’s kind of nice to draw up something and execute it and see how it looks on the court instead of in practice,” Moncibaez said of the starters’ chance to run through more offensive sets. “Because sometimes in practice we don’t have enough bodies … so to actually see it in a game, it’s really nice to see.”
Scorpions freshman forward Grace Hafner made it 30-0, then the Spartans scored six straight and at halftime Red Rock led 36-8.
The starters took the floor again to start the third quarter and from the 3:33 mark until the game’s end it was all substitutes.
“It gives them a little bit of confidence and that experience that they need,” Moncibaez said. “And [it] kind of gives them a first look at what it’s like to be on varsity, so it was good for them.”
Only 17 total points were scored in the second half, with the third quarter ending up a 2-2 tie.
The new jerseys, mostly white with black accents, were a detail that Moncibaez said his players were excited about, being that they had not gotten new ones in some time.
Red Rock continued 2A Central Section play at Glendale Preparatory Academy on Jan. 17, but results were unavailable at press time. It next plays Friday, Jan. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at Paradise Honors High School in another section matchup. The Scorpions return home for a nonleague contest against Wicken-burg High School Saturday, Jan. 21, at 3 p.m.
