Eliav Gabay
While No. 2 Xavier Prep was the home team, both schools had passionate fans that made for an awesome playoff atmosphere.
No. 23 Sunnyslope gave its fans much to cheer about on the road in terms of staying in the game for the most part and making the Gators work for every bucket.
Mercury great and head coach Jennifer Gillom and her girls prepared for exactly that en route to the 60-39 victory.
“They’re not giving in,” Gillom said. “Neither are we.”
“It’s expected,” Xavier Prep senior star guard Sarah Miller said. “Xavier has a big target on their back. We practice that pressure. Coach Gillom gets us ready for those types of situations.”
Gillom’s full court press propelled her team to a 10-0 advantage before the Viking defense started flipping turnovers for points in the second period.
“They played with no pressure,” Gillom said. “We had a lot of pressure…this is these seniors last home game – we want do well…[Sunnyslope] was gonna give us everything they had…I thought we did a good job, especially when we needed to in the fourth quarter. We settled down, we executed, we played great defense. We continue to do that, good things are going to happen.”
Miller (15 points) was the steady boat that kept her squad full steam ahead to the Open Division Final Four.
“This player right here knows how to step it up in the big time,” Gillom said. “That’s why we’re good. We are the second ranked team because of her. She rises to the occasion. I like players that play tough when the going gets tough. That’s what counts…Down the road, they’re gonna look to stop her, so I gotta get on the drawing board and make sure I get her open.”
“Rather than it just being plays and only trying to do a press break…it’s more us playing together, meshing together,” Miller said. “Once we execute smoothly and coherent with each other – having those nonverbal cues on point…it’s really hard for them to stop us.”
While the final score didn’t tell the story of the game, it represented what a team with championship resolve looks like as the Gators dominated the fourth to shut the door.
No. 2 Xavier Prep will now face No. 6 Pinnacle in the Open Division semifinals on Tuesday, February 27.
More sights and sounds from the game:
Head Coach Jennifer Gillom & #2 @XavierPrepWBB about to tipoff against #23 Sunnyslope in the AZ Open Division Quarterfinals.
The Gators are 23-4 so far this season.@Sports360AZ #Mercury #HighSchoolBasketball #AZHSBB pic.twitter.com/KySjgfw33M
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) February 23, 2024
.@XavierPrepWBB advances to the Open Final Four‼️@Sports360AZ pic.twitter.com/gBu2FffCV5
— Eliav Gabay (@eliavgabay) February 23, 2024
