2024-25 Girls Basketball

Sunnyside 13-1 after topping Wasilla (Alaska) in Flowing Wells Holiday Shootout title game

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Sunnyside is 13-1 and champions of the Inferno Invitational and Flowing Wells Holiday Shootout so far this season (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)

Sunnyside went from leading by seven points at halftime to trailing by the same amount in the fourth quarter, but rallied to win 45-43 over Wasilla (Alaska) in the Flowing Wells Holiday Shootout championship game Tuesday night.

The Blue Devils are 13-1 with championships at Flowing Wells and their own Thanksgiving holiday tournament, the Inferno Invitational.

“They’re a powerhouse 4A team over there (in Alaska),” Sunnyside coach Justin Delgado said of Wasilla. “We were able to compete with them. We knew it was going to be a good game, and we were excited to get really tested tonight.

“That was awesome for us.”

The game was played at a frenetic pace with both teams utilizing a full-court press.

Despite numerous turnovers by both teams, Sunnyside prevailed behind a 10-2 run to open the fourth quarter.

Sunnyside’s scrappy defense allowed only one made field goal by Wasilla in the fourth quarter.

After Wasilla led 40-33 with 6:58 left following two free throws by Mielee Merchant, a key stretch for Sunnyside was senior post player AJ Yanez scoring on a strong drive to the basket and senior guard Esa Barajas making a 3-pointer in consecutive possessions.

Barajas scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half, including two clutch 3-pointers.

“I was made a captain of this team at the beginning of the year, so I tried taking on my role,” Barajas said. “I’ve tried picking them (her teammates) up. I started off slow in the first half, so I was just trying to get going, and I was trying to get everybody up.”

Barajas’ 3-pointer with 6:05 left cut the lead to 40-38, but Katie Jackson answered with two of her 16 points on a jumper in the lane.

A free throw by Rayanna Ortiz and a drive to the basket by Dora Medina cut the lead to 42-41 with 3:49 left.

Yanez, who finished with a team-high 18 points, put Sunnyside ahead 43-42 with 2:30 left after another strong move to the basket.

“I came out strong with the right mindset I’ve been needing to come out with,” Yanez said. “This is my way of bouncing back and showing what I’m capable of doing, instead of getting in my head and doing what I have been doing.”

With 2:11 remaining, Wasilla tied the game at 43 when Mia Christensen made one of two free throws.

A jumper by Barajas with 1:45 left capped the scoring. Wasilla suffered a couple of turnovers down the stretch and could never get a clean shot off because of Sunnyside’s defense.

“Esa is really huge for us,” Delgado said about Barajas. “She’s our go-getter. She can hit a lot of 3’s for us. She has a lot of energy. She does it on both sides of the floor.”

A 13-2 run by Wasilla in the third quarter erased the Warriors’ 22-15 halftime deficit.

They managed only three points in the second quarter after getting shut down on their abundant drives to the basket because of the quickness of Sunnyside’s guards and the athletic Yanez, who is 6 feet tall.

Yanez fell during a rebounding attempt and hit her head on the floor late in the first half. She had to be helped off the court. She also fouled out with 2:11 left after leading the Blue Devils with 18 points. Sunnyside fought through her absence in both cases.

“I love it, I really do,” Yanez said about the experience of playing for a team that’s 13-1. “I’m ready for the tough opponents we have coming up next. I think we’re really capable of finishing and winning those games if we keep playing the way we’ve been playing.”

Sunnyside will host its next two games against Ironwood Ridge on Jan. 6 and Salpointe on Jan. 9.

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