“Overall, the better team,” said Sedona Red Rock High School head girls basketball coach Joe Donaldson.

He could not say much more to explain why Many Farms High School defeated the Scorpions for the second time this season, 74-44, in the first round of the Division III state tournament Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Freshman guard Liza Westervelt and senior forward Kristina Schindele each scored 13 points to lead SRRHS, which lost on the road in the first round of the playoffs for the second straight season.

The two chief reasons why, at least statistically, were rebounds and turnovers. SRRHS only had 13 rebounds the entire game, while Donaldson gave up keeping track of turnovers after the Scorpions had “30 plus,” he said, “with no press or significant pressure.”

The Scorpions “easily broke the initial attempt” at a press defense by the Lobos and shot 85 percent from the free-throw line, he added. “They simply outworked us [with] good, straight-up man” defense.

For the full story, please see the Friday, Feb. 20, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.