Lady Devils basketball team ends losing streak with win over Pinnacle
by Jeff Richards
contributing writer
Dec 13, 2012 | 327 views | 0 0 comments | 6 6 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Grand’s Alena Geiser gets a shot off over Pinnacle Academy’s Courtney Hunter during the Lady Devils 44-20 victory on Dec. 4. Photo by Jeff Richards
Grand’s Alena Geiser gets a shot off over Pinnacle Academy’s Courtney Hunter during the Lady Devils 44-20 victory on Dec. 4. Photo by Jeff Richards
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  The Grand County High Lady Devils snapped a 23-game losing streak last week, defeating the Pinnacle Academy Panthers 44-20 at Moab on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

  It was the first win of basketball season for the Lady Devils, who had not won a varsity girls basketball game since February of 2011.

  “It was nice to get that off our backs,” said GCHS head coach Rick Lopez. “We played really good defense, and we had several players that stepped up and helped with the scoring.”

  The game started close, with Grand trailing 7-6 at the end of the first quarter before going on a 14-2 scoring run and taking a 20-9 halftime lead. The Lady Devils continued to extend their lead throughout the second half, coasting to the easy win in front of a visibly delighted home crowd.

  Sophomore forward Brook Schultz scored 18 points to lead the Lady Devils’ effort. Her total included a buzzer-beater at the end of the game that appeared to be a three-pointer but was later officially scored as a two-point basket, since the referee never did signal for three.

  Also scoring for Grand in that game were freshman center Symony Call, who added nine points; junior Alena Geiser, who scored seven; freshman Madi Jones, who scored six; and senior Torrie Lopez, who added four.

  On Thursday, Dec. 6, two nights after their home victory against the Panthers, the Lady Devils traveled to Monticello to play the Lady Buckaroos.

  Monticello, which also had beaten Grand at Moab on Nov. 27, came out on top once again, outlasting the Lady Devils by the score of 34-24.

  “We were ahead most of the first half and were still in it until the fourth quarter, when they pulled away from us,” said coach Lopez. He noted that the Lady Buckaroos outscored Grand 12-5 in the final period.

  Junior Teaven Fredericks led Grand in scoring against Monticello with eight points, while Torrie Lopez added five. Senior Linda Minor and Schultz each scored four, and Geiser added three points in the loss.

  “We’re still young and we’re making mistakes,” coach Lopez said. “We need to work on our rebounding and scoring.”

  Lopez said the team’s goal is to score at least 40 points per game, which the Lady Devils did manage to do against Pinnacle. However, in their other three games so far this year the Lady Devils have scored just 59 points total, or just under 20 points per contest.

  “We’re still struggling to get our plays down, but we are getting better,” Lopez said.

  Grand’s only game this week was scheduled to take place at Duchesne on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The Lady Devils’ next home game will be a region contest against Richfield on Jan. 4, right after the holiday break.
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