Mark
12-12-2007, 11:46 AM
H.S. Girls Basketball: Vaughn outplays Barnett in marquee matchup
Hornets score 37-36 upset of Cougars
By James Staley (http://abqtrib.com/staff/james-staley/) (Contact (http://abqtrib.com/staff/james-staley/contact/))
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
http://media.abqtrib.com/albq/content/img/photos/2007/12/12/121207_cibola_t220.jpg (http://abqtrib.com/photos/2007/dec/12/7630/) Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Highland's Deeva Vaughn applauds a foul call as Cibola's Skye Barnett reacts during the final minutes of their game. Vaughn outplayed Barnett in a matchup of two of the state's best players, helping host Highland win 37-36 on Tuesday night.
http://media.abqtrib.com/albq/content/img/photos/2007/12/12/121207_HHS_t220.jpg (http://abqtrib.com/photos/2007/dec/12/7629/) Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Cibola senior Skye Barnett, headed to Pepperdine on a college scholarship, struggled against the Hornets, finishing with four points and three rebounds.
http://abqtrib.com/news/2007/dec/12/hs-girls-basketball-vaughn-outplays-barnett-marque/
The game's final minutes belonged to Deeva Vaughn.
She drilled critical free throws. She plucked must-have rebounds. She even forced one of the state's top players into a rare turnover.
The first half was Vaughn's, too.
By the second quarter, Highland's standout forward already had registered a double-double. She scored all but two of the Hive's points. It was all that kept the Hornets close to one of Class 5A basketball's top contenders, Cibola.
However, those signature aspects of Highland's 37-36 upset win over Cibola weren't what had Vaughn smiling Tuesday night.
That distinction went to a chunk of the second half when Vaughn was scoreless.
With their Division I talent in the shadows, Highland's lesser-known players unfurled a 12-3 run. It gave them a slim lead, and a chance to knock off the deeper, bigger and more tested Cougars.
But, more importantly, it bestowed hope.
"I want to win state," Vaughn said after her 23-point, 15-rebound performance. "I think that we're capable this year. Last year, we didn't go to state. That hurt me. I was crying, I'm not going to lie. Now anybody can win it. We have that hunger. We know we can do it."
Highland's supporting cast played as though it believed.
Three different players - Dallas Norman, Taylor Dennis and Katarina Powdrell - scored during that game-swaying stretch. Ariana Kemp didn't find the basket, but she pulled key rebounds.
Then Vaughn finished off Cibola.
With less than a minute to play the Cougars had the ball and a 36-35 lead thanks to a clutch 3-point shot by Shayla Flores. All Cibola had to do to escape with a win was play keep-away and wait to absorb a foul.
The Cougars got the ball into the hands of its Division I player, Skye Barnett, but it didn't matter. Vaughn rushed her near center court, causing an over-and-back violation.
Barnett was whistled for a foul, Cibola's seventh, sending Vaughn to the free-throw line for a chance to give the Hornets the lead with about 30 seconds to play. Two swishes later, Highland had it.
"I think that plays a little bit into it," Highland coach Jon Ingram said when asked if facing other top players ignites Vaughn. "Deeva's a competitor. She gets up for Skye, but she gets up for Manzano. She loves to play basketball. And tonight, she rose to the challenge."
A player as dynamic as Vaughn certainly should help the Hive's postseason chances. So does the fact that recent powers such as Mayfield, Clovis, Gallup and Sandia all lost their best player from last year. But Highland's other players seem to hold the key.
"That's the biggest thing," Ingram said. "Everybody knows Deeva's our go-to player. But other kids are starting to realize if they just let Deeva do everything, it's pretty easy to beat us. Even if they're not scoring, they need to get to loose balls, get rebounds. They're slowly buying into it."
Added Vaughn: "We've come a long way from summer. It's amazing how we can play together now."
At the other end of the Highland gym, Cibola coach Lori Stephenson was frustrated.
Her Cougars' faceplant after what was an impressive run through the APS Tournament seemed to be a step backwards. The loss dropped Cibola to 4-2 on the season. Highland improved to 2-4 overall.
"Highland outplayed us and that's what I told my girls," Stephenson said. "I told them there will be plenty of games where I get outcoached, but this one is their fault. . . . They got outworked. They got outhustled. They deserved to lose the basketball game."
Stephenson would like to see better preparation.
"We played poorly (Monday) at practice and kind of continued that," Stephenson said. "Our biggest struggle is getting an effort out of all of our kids every single day in practice."
A void of energy seemed to sap the entire team, starting at the top. Barnett's performance seemed out of character. Her combined number of points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks was 11.
Vaughn totaled 42 in this matchup of marquee players. On this night, the game belonged to Vaughn.
Hornets score 37-36 upset of Cougars
By James Staley (http://abqtrib.com/staff/james-staley/) (Contact (http://abqtrib.com/staff/james-staley/contact/))
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
http://media.abqtrib.com/albq/content/img/photos/2007/12/12/121207_cibola_t220.jpg (http://abqtrib.com/photos/2007/dec/12/7630/) Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Highland's Deeva Vaughn applauds a foul call as Cibola's Skye Barnett reacts during the final minutes of their game. Vaughn outplayed Barnett in a matchup of two of the state's best players, helping host Highland win 37-36 on Tuesday night.
http://media.abqtrib.com/albq/content/img/photos/2007/12/12/121207_HHS_t220.jpg (http://abqtrib.com/photos/2007/dec/12/7629/) Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune
Tribune
Cibola senior Skye Barnett, headed to Pepperdine on a college scholarship, struggled against the Hornets, finishing with four points and three rebounds.
http://abqtrib.com/news/2007/dec/12/hs-girls-basketball-vaughn-outplays-barnett-marque/
The game's final minutes belonged to Deeva Vaughn.
She drilled critical free throws. She plucked must-have rebounds. She even forced one of the state's top players into a rare turnover.
The first half was Vaughn's, too.
By the second quarter, Highland's standout forward already had registered a double-double. She scored all but two of the Hive's points. It was all that kept the Hornets close to one of Class 5A basketball's top contenders, Cibola.
However, those signature aspects of Highland's 37-36 upset win over Cibola weren't what had Vaughn smiling Tuesday night.
That distinction went to a chunk of the second half when Vaughn was scoreless.
With their Division I talent in the shadows, Highland's lesser-known players unfurled a 12-3 run. It gave them a slim lead, and a chance to knock off the deeper, bigger and more tested Cougars.
But, more importantly, it bestowed hope.
"I want to win state," Vaughn said after her 23-point, 15-rebound performance. "I think that we're capable this year. Last year, we didn't go to state. That hurt me. I was crying, I'm not going to lie. Now anybody can win it. We have that hunger. We know we can do it."
Highland's supporting cast played as though it believed.
Three different players - Dallas Norman, Taylor Dennis and Katarina Powdrell - scored during that game-swaying stretch. Ariana Kemp didn't find the basket, but she pulled key rebounds.
Then Vaughn finished off Cibola.
With less than a minute to play the Cougars had the ball and a 36-35 lead thanks to a clutch 3-point shot by Shayla Flores. All Cibola had to do to escape with a win was play keep-away and wait to absorb a foul.
The Cougars got the ball into the hands of its Division I player, Skye Barnett, but it didn't matter. Vaughn rushed her near center court, causing an over-and-back violation.
Barnett was whistled for a foul, Cibola's seventh, sending Vaughn to the free-throw line for a chance to give the Hornets the lead with about 30 seconds to play. Two swishes later, Highland had it.
"I think that plays a little bit into it," Highland coach Jon Ingram said when asked if facing other top players ignites Vaughn. "Deeva's a competitor. She gets up for Skye, but she gets up for Manzano. She loves to play basketball. And tonight, she rose to the challenge."
A player as dynamic as Vaughn certainly should help the Hive's postseason chances. So does the fact that recent powers such as Mayfield, Clovis, Gallup and Sandia all lost their best player from last year. But Highland's other players seem to hold the key.
"That's the biggest thing," Ingram said. "Everybody knows Deeva's our go-to player. But other kids are starting to realize if they just let Deeva do everything, it's pretty easy to beat us. Even if they're not scoring, they need to get to loose balls, get rebounds. They're slowly buying into it."
Added Vaughn: "We've come a long way from summer. It's amazing how we can play together now."
At the other end of the Highland gym, Cibola coach Lori Stephenson was frustrated.
Her Cougars' faceplant after what was an impressive run through the APS Tournament seemed to be a step backwards. The loss dropped Cibola to 4-2 on the season. Highland improved to 2-4 overall.
"Highland outplayed us and that's what I told my girls," Stephenson said. "I told them there will be plenty of games where I get outcoached, but this one is their fault. . . . They got outworked. They got outhustled. They deserved to lose the basketball game."
Stephenson would like to see better preparation.
"We played poorly (Monday) at practice and kind of continued that," Stephenson said. "Our biggest struggle is getting an effort out of all of our kids every single day in practice."
A void of energy seemed to sap the entire team, starting at the top. Barnett's performance seemed out of character. Her combined number of points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks was 11.
Vaughn totaled 42 in this matchup of marquee players. On this night, the game belonged to Vaughn.