Valley boys, girls steamroll past St. Michael

SANDERS, Ariz.

They are as good as advertised.

The top ranked Valley girls’ basketball team turned back No. 12 St. Michael 70-50 on Saturday night to improve to 11-0 overall and 9-0 in league play.

The boys’ team, meanwhile, made easy work of the Cardinal squad with an 81-45 victory. With that Valley improved one spot in the latest power ranking polls to No. 7, which is three spots behind league leading Pinon.

The Lady Pirates got things started by opening up a commanding 30-6 advantage with Valiyah Yazzie and Cherelle Speen combining for 23 points in that first quarter.

“I thought the girls played well,” Valley coach Dorothy Mitchell. “We’re trying to work on our bench so eventually when we can get to the state and sectional level we can use them.”

With that said, Mitchell said they used last Saturday’s game as a way to build chemistry.

For the most part the Pirates were right on cue as they kept St. Michael at bay even though the Lady Cardinals put together a few rallies despite missing two key starters in senior Iyona Freeland and sophomore Jalynn Smith.

“I am missing my starting point guard and shooting guard,” St. Michael coach Bill McLaughlin said. “They average about 30 points for us. I am very proud of my girls even though they got down 30-6. I thought they fought hard and they never quit.”

According to McLaughlin he should get Freeland and Smith back as soon as this week.

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