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Girls basketball: Revisiting the 2019-20 season
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Posted
Joey Postiglione, Reporter
When looking back at the Fountain Hills High School girls basketball 2019-20 season, head coach Mandy Baca describes it as a bit of a roller coaster.
The Lady Falcons’ season started off on the right foot with a Nov. 26, 36-21 win against Scottsdale Christian Academy.
Unfortunately, the Lady Falcons stumbled after their opening game, losing five games in row. That would be the longest they would go without a win all season.
The Lady Falcons started to get their groove back after the Dec. 17 50-42 victory over Payson. After that game the team went on to win its next two games, netting them their longest win streak of three games.
After winning their last few regular season games, Fountain Hills secured a spot in the state tournament.
The Lady Falcons’ first playoff game was Feb. 18 against Holbrook. FHHS ultimately lost the game, 55-22.
When reflecting on the season, Baca said it was a whirlwind of ups and downs but making playoffs shows that the team finished strong.
“It was definitely a roller coaster,” Baca said. “We had some highs and some lows but overall we made it to the state tournament and that is a plus. Sure, we would have liked to go deeper but Holbrook is a great team.”
After losing three top senior players the previous season, Baca was worried about certain areas of the Lady Falcons’ game, but said she was happy to see the team rise up to fill the void.
“Handling ball pressure got a lot better as the season went on,” Baca said. “I was a bit worried about that area after having some seniors graduate last year. So the team had to step up and they did. It can be nerve-racking because you’re in charge of the ball for 10 seconds while you get it across the court.”
While the team excelled in ball handling and other areas, Baca believes that there is one aspect of the game that they can always do better on.
“Defense. Always defense. That is what is going to win you basketball games and as a unit they got a little more cohesive but we just need to play more basketball,” Baca said.
Baca is hoping to get the Lady Falcons to play in around 20 games in June. Along with keeping them warm during the off season, Baca hopes that summer games will help her team get some more basketball smarts.
Besides their basketball prowess, Baca said she was really impressed with the seniors on this year’s team for the leadership they showed on and off the court.
“Mia Renner and Stephanie Lies, as seniors, did a really good job at handling the basketball and leading,” Baca said. “Gina Woods hadn’t played in three years but she was a great leader. Very positive and she really pushes herself, which I think inspires others. The seniors have all gone through the system and they know how things work, so they did a really good job of creating the culture.”
Finally, when thinking about her favorite memory of the season, Baca immediately thought of the team’s two games against Gilbert Christian.
“The two Gilbert Christian games, for sure, because both of them came down to the wire and I think that says a lot about our team and their growth because we were able to finish,” Baca explained. “At home it’s a little easier. Lex hit a couple of free throws and Sydney Loyet had some layups to win, but then we did the same thing on the road. We got down and then came back.”