Camp Verde High School’s girls basketball team won its fourth consecutive game after beating visiting Horizon Honors High School 48-19 on Thursday, Dec. 14.
The Cowboys [7-1] then traveled to Tonopah Valley High School, winning 67-18 on Friday, Dec. 15, to extend the streak to five games. However, the team’s average margin of victory of that same span is 31.5 points.
It may not have been the toughest stretch of games, but it has also allowed the team to compete while solving a few issues.
“Right now I’m worried that half my kids have the flu, we’re trying to make sure Hope’s [Ontiveros] knee is OK, so not having real tough competition night in and night out is not bothering me too much,” Showers said. “You take the good with the bad.”
Camp Verde, ranked No. 7 in the Arizona Republic’s Conference 2A poll last week, led just 4-2 halfway through the first quarter, but finished the quarter on an 8-0 run to lead 12-2.
The second frame got off to a quick start as Cowboys freshman forward Maya Hedges blocked a shot and on the other end of the floor scored on a putback. Hedges had a big quarter scoring 12 points altogether, a team-high for the game.
She is also the first player off the bench, and getting her up to speed with the rest of the young group has been a key point. She finished with three blocks as well. Hedges’ third basket made it 22-4, and her sixth came on a backdoor cut assisted by sophomore guard Anna Peterson.
“For me, the sophomores have a pretty good grip, and Hope, our junior. It’s about Maya learning,” Showers said. “As [Hedges] continues to learn and grow, she’s going to be tough.”
At halftime, the Cowboys led 31-11. Defensively Camp Verde went relatively unchallenged, giving up one three-pointer and a handful of buckets inside.
For the most part, the hosts stole the ball on many defensive possessions, but they also continued to miss many of their layup opportunities in transition.
“One of the things I’m telling them is they are this close to exploding offensively, just so close. Our biggest issue right now is still layups, we can’t hit a dang layup,” Showers said.
It was much of the same in the third quarter, with the Cowboys substitutes getting minutes. They won the frame 14-4 going up 46-15 after a bucket from sophomore forward Destiny Dowdle, initiating the running clock for the final eight-minute quarter.
The Cowboys opened region play with Mingus Mountain Academy on Tuesday, Dec. 19, but results were unavailable at press time. They next host the Yvonne Johnson Memorial tournament on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 29 and 30.
