Lady T-Birds knock off Yavapai
Jeff Moses
The Mesa Lady Thunderbirds disposed of the Yavapai Lady Roughriders in Wednesday’s basketball game in the Theo Heap Gymnasium at MCC. Defense was the name of the game for the T-Birds, who held their previously undefeated opponent to 60 points, and just 17-49 from the field.
The T-birds recorded 14 steals on the game including six by guard Christina Buescher, who along with Amber Bond and her nine rebounds, lead the stifling T-bird defense.
Going into halftime, the Lady T-Birds were up 42-28. All head coach Kori Stephenson had to say was “we did fine, the defense is doing fine.”
She would be far more animated later when a call did not go her way and she found herself being warned by the referee for stomping on the floor.
The Roughriders were unable to deal with the offense of the Thunderbirds who had five players in double figures including an amazing 19 by guard Haley Vennard, who after shooting 66 percent from the three-point zone was left “speechless” by her own performance.
Not to mention 14 points and five rebounds by the team’s scoring leader Buescher. If Buescher maintains this level of play, all-conference should be just a formality on the way to all-America honors.
In the end of the second half, coach Stephenson told guard Nicole Crisp, “I want one steal and one rebound from you, got that?”, and Crisp was up to her coach’s challenge, recording a Larry Bird-like steal and bringing it the whole way up for an electrifying lay-up that brought the Thunderbird faithful to their feet.
The Roughrider defense found itself stumped by the ball movement of the T-Bird offense and allowed the ladies of Mesa to shoot a very respectable 47 percent from the field, going 31-66 from the field on the game.
Longtime Mesa fan and basketball enthusiast John McDonald said, “the girls are very, very good; they have depth, ball handlers and size.” It would appear coach Stephenson doesn’t agree – at least not with the depth. She was heard screaming in the fourth quarter at back-up point guard Isidora Perisic, “Play defense Izzy! Please god, play defense,” as well as some less then confident words to back up forward Rachael Tozier.
Coach Stephenson when asked how she felt after the victory said “good, it’s a good conference win, I’m proud of the team the defensive goal was 60 and we got it.”
Depth issues aside, the Lady Thunderbird’s played a spectacular game bringing their record to 4-1 on the season, and putting a big conference win in the rear view.
Mesa folllowed their win with another one against Glendale in a 82-58 rout in which four Thunderbird starters contributed double digit scoring
MCC is currently ranked seventh in the country
