Winning has become a familiar feeling for the Skyview girls basketball team this season, but the Storm is quick to move forward and focus on what they need to improve.
So when Skyview defeated Heritage 66-40 on Tuesday night, its fifth win in six games, it was less a celebration and more of a shrug.
“We’re playing good, but I know we can do better,” said junior Jordan Labrador-Hallett. “And we will.”
With 14 points, Labrador-Hallett was one of four Storm players to reach double digits in scoring alongside Rowyn Riley (15), Skylar Groesbeck (14) and Samantha Groesbeck (10).
The Storm also hit nine 3-pointers, five of which came during a 20-10 third quarter that put the game out of reach for the Timberwolves.
“The biggest thing that stood out was their offensive rebounds. We have to collectively rebound a lot better because they’ve got second-chance, third-chance, fourth-chance (points),” Heritage head coach Jacob Kaler said. “I think they had (nine) 3-pointers, and I’d like to know how many of those were off second-chance points. Their momentum gets going and they’re a hard team to beat when they have that behind them.”
Of equal importance to Skyview’s momentum was its trapping defense, which helped force 27 Heritage turnovers compared to 13 for the Storm.
A back-and-forth opening quarter included six lead changes between the two teams, before Skyview opened the second quarter on a 14-3 run and held Heritage without a field goal for more than four minutes.
Heritage’s Keanna Salavea scored a game-high 24 points and Alex Rosenbaum added nine, but the Storm made the Timberwolves’ top scorers work for a lot of them.
“Really, our main thing is just trapping, hustling up and down the court, making sure we have our man,” Labrador-Hallet said. “It’s a two-man game, they have two players that really score. Our main focus is on the people that are scoring (and) trapping them.”
The Greater St. Helens League matchup was the first for Skyview (7-2, 1-0 4A GSHL), which won two of three games at the Dec. 28-30 Pacific Office Automation Holiday Classic in Portland.
Heritage (5-4, 1-1 3A GSHL) won two straight at the Seaside Holiday Classic prior to Tuesday’s loss.
“Every single practice matters and we got to bring the intensity every single day,” Kaler said. “Because it’s a tough conference, it’s a competitive conference and it starts with practice. The intensity has got to stay up, you can’t a deep breath, a step back, because these teams will get us.”
SKYVIEW 66, HERITAGE 40
SKYVIEW — Brooke Riley 2, Lainey Phillips 2, Samantha Groesbeck 10, Charlotte Baker 4, Rowyn Riley 15, Taylor Crowley 3, Annelise Carroll 2, Skylar Groesbeck 14, Jordan Labrador-Hallett 14. Totals 23 (9) 11-18 66.
HERITAGE — Alex Rosenbaum 9, Paige Kirby 2, Jennifer Granados-Gonzalez 0, Keanna Salavea 24, Kylee Wolff 5, Jordis Taylor 0, Brooke Kirby 0, Jordis Taylor 0, S. Bautista 0. Totals 15 (2) 8-18 40.
Skyview 16 18 20 12—66
Heritage 10 10 10 10—40
