Bridesmaid no more

Valley ends drought with school’s very first state title

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz.

This was a long time coming for the Valley Lady Pirates.

The team widely acknowledged as one of area’s most talented group is now the state’s best.

The top seeded Pirates defeated No. 3 seed Rock Point in Saturday’s Arizona Division V girls finals, 77-40, at the Prescott Valley Events Center in Prescott Valley, Ariz. The Pirates finished the year at 29-1.

With the win, the Lady Pirates girls’ basketball team became the school’s first sports program to win a team championship, according to athletic director Marcus Forrester.

In 2013, the Pirates lost the Division III state title to Winslow by a 45-40 count and last season they came up six points short in the Division IV finals against Phoenix Christian.

The Pirates made sure they did not let this one slip away as they built a sizeable 22-8 first quarter lead behind the play of junior forward Cherelle Speen.

“We learned from our mistakes and this year we came back and did it,” Speen said.

She scored nine in the opening quarter and her 10-point effort in the next stanza helped the Pirates open a 46-19 halftime advantage.

“I wanted to come out and do this for the team,” said Speen, who finished with a game-best 23 points. “I was really motivated by my team and the fans that supported us.”

That fan support was especially important in the state semifinals as Valley outlasted No. 4 seed San Carlos by a 68-60 count.

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