Criminals girls basketball team done in by turnovers

Local Sports

Criminals girls basketball team done in by turnovers
By Keith Beise, Special to the Sun
Nov 28, 2006

Marana Mountain View came out and dominated the Yuma High girls basketball team Tuesday night. The Criminals' numerous turnovers got the best of them in the 48-28 non-conference loss at the Palace on Prison Hill.

It was a hard fought and physical game, featuring a total of 36 fouls between the two teams. Neither team gave any ground for rebounds or loose balls.

Leading the way in scoring was Marana Mt. View's Deanna Sherman with 12 points. She was also strong on the boards, pulling down five rebounds.

"Deanna stepped up for us and really did a good job," said MMV head coach Niki Melchiori.

Other strong performances for the Mountain Lions included Stephanie Dayton with nine points and Brittany Gibson with eight. Jenna Smith also played well, chipping in four points and six boards.

Maggie Zamudio was a bright spot for the Criminals, scoring 10 points and making her physical presence known as she collected eight rebounds.

"Maggie is a big morale booster for this team," said Yuma head coach Kristie Wiencek.

Yuma's turnovers prevented it from ever gaining any momentum or getting into a rhythm on offense. The Criminals had a four-point run in the third quarter pulling the score to 28-19, but three turnovers on consecutive possessions ruined any chance at a rally.

"I'm really proud of my team," said Wiencek. "We kept playing until the end and never gave up. We're a young team still learning how to deal with the pressure and are improving with each game."