Williams Middle School girls teams enjoy successful season

The Williams Middle School girls basketball A and B teams could not be beaten in the I-40 Conference this season.

The A and B teams combined for a 10-0 conference record and the A squad won the I-40 league tournament handily.

“This season I had the pleasure of coaching an outstanding group of girls,” A-team coach Michelle Egan said. “They are the true definition of team. They worked so well together in every game we played.”

The A team, which won eight of nine games (results of final game vs. Kingman not available) opened the season on Nov. 18 against Seligman. The Falcons won easily, 57-3, an indication of the conference dominance that would follow.

The girls stepped out of the conference on Nov. 21 to take a 43-35 victory over Prescott Mile High. Egan called the contest one of the most exciting of the season.

“We made our free throws this game, caused many turnovers for the other team,” Egan said. “Powerful defense did it in the fourth quarter and great rebounding by Jarah Dent. The teamwork paid off.”

Egan mentioned a “funny” aspect of the game. Dent made four points and Michelle Barnes two points for the wrong team when they shot at the opponent’s basket.

Williams trailed the game by one point at halftime, took a two-point lead by the end of the third and then pulled away for the eight-point victory at the end.

The Falcons played at Beaver Creek on Nov. 30 and suffered their lone setback, 24-23. Williams held a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

Barnes was injured at the start of the final quarter and had to sit out the rest of the game. Egan said they missed her crucial free-throw shooting ability, especially at the end.

In the final seconds, Williams failed on a one-and-one opportunity and then had a chance to tie with another two shots. Williams made the first free throw but missed the second. The Falcons did get the rebound but couldn’t get a shot off before the final buzzer.

On Dec. 2, Williams played back in the I-40 league and took a 27-11 win over Ash Fork. The following week on Dec. 9, the Falcons defeated Grand Canyon, 62-16.

Williams traveled to Sacred Heart on Dec. 11 and won handily, 46-4. The Falcons then got past Granite Mountain, 29-18, in a Dec. 13 contest.

The Falcons game vs. Granite Mountain was close most of the way. Williams led by three at the end of the first, trailed by two at halftime and led by four after the third. A full-court press began to pay off in the second half and was a key in the win.

“We turned it up a notch with a full-court press that paid off,” Egan said. “They couldn’t handle the pressure. It was a great whole team effort.”

Williams went into the Dec. 16 I-40 League Tournament and brought home the trophy with no problem. The Falcons downed Grand Canyon, 34-9, in the first game and then whipped Seligman for the title, 68-6.

The Falcons outscored all I-40 teams in five games this season by a combined score of 248-45. That’s an average score of 50-9.

Individually, through the nine reported games, Williams was led in scoring by Barnes with 103 points. Teri Stevens scored 70 points while both Dent and Tami Edes each scored 53.

Other scorers for the team this year included Terean Hatcher (32 points), Kandice Zabala (27 points), Michelle Sandoval (17 points), Nahvon Curry (16 points) and Kristina Gushee (five points).

B team 5-0 in league

The Williams B team went 5-0 in the conference, 7-3 overall. The Falcons opened Nov. 11 with a rarity in basketball, a shutout. Williams downed Parks Maine, 33-0.

On Nov. 18 also in the conference, Williams beat Seligman, 39-2. In a non-league game, the Falcons lost to Prescott Mile High, 46-6.

The team rebounded to beat Beaver Creek on Nov. 30 by a 16-10 count. On Dec. 2, the Falcons won two more league games, downing Ash Fork, 18-5, and Parks Maine, 34-0. The team followed with a 14-9 triumph over Grand Canyon on Dec. 9.

The B-team Falcons then stepped out of the conference again and whipped Sacred Heart, 25-3.

Williams ended the season with two close losses, falling to Granite Mountain, 24-19 and Kingman, 24-20.

“We really enjoyed the girls this year,” B-team coach Maria Otero said. “We had a better season this year as opposed to last year. We are very proud of the girls and hope to see them next year.”

Ashley Mulvihill finished as the team’s top scorer with 78 points for the season. Alyssa Dennison scored 45, Tricia Gaines had 30, Chesney Grantham scored 27 and Courtney Wells finished with 23.

Other scorers for the B team included Latisha Ellenger (16 points), Alie Konkel (15 points), Tiffany Smith (12 points) and Chelsey Santana (two points).

Rachelle Barras was also on the roster, but missed most of the season with an injury.