Napa Valley takes control of game in third quarter to bump lead to double-digits, gets massive games from key players to beat Mendocino
By Kyle Foster
Follow on X: @NapaKyle @NapaSportsNews
Throughout the season, there will be games where you have to win when you’re not necessarily playing your best.
On Friday night at Storm Gym, this is what the Napa Valley College women’s basketball team did as they beat Mendocino-Ukiah, 72-61, in a Bay Valley Conference game.
Napa Valley (13-11 overall, 7-3 BVC) were able to win the game behind a big third quarter where they were able to push the lead to double digits. In that quarter, they outscored Mendocino 21 to 13, which got the lead to 60-48.
“We needed to make some threes and then we also needed to make some layups and it’s hard for us to get some layups,” Napa Valley College head coach Paul DeBolt said. “Teams don’t man us, they just zone us and they pack it in. They guard certain shooters. So really, we just need to get a little more in transition, get to the free-throw line, which we did, and make some threes, which we did.”
They could do this by ramping up their defense, which led to a bunch of fast-break opportunities in the second half.
“We just came out with more energy. We played together,” Napa Valley College sophomore guard Brooklyn Giles explained of the key third quarter. “I think the first half, we’re kind of like not on the same page as far as our offense. But we really put it together because coach Paul and other assistant coaches really hyped this up in halftime and told us we need to get it together.”
The Storm also ended the first quarter by going on a 9-2 run that gave them a slim 15-14 lead. Before this, they got off to a slow start to begin the game.
Maybe the biggest reason they were able to get the win though was the effort of Giles. The sophomore guard scored a game-leading 28 points and brought in 19 rebounds to finish with a double-double. She also scored 16 points in the first half and made 10 of 15 free throws in the game as well. Giles was the main beneficiary of the fast break opportunities as well.
“Every time I come out, I’m not looking to get my own,” Giles explained. “I’m just looking to win. I’m just trying to play my game and trying to get my teammates as many buckets so that’s what it came with tonight – 28 ball and 19 rebounds. So I’ll take it.”
Giles was just two points shy of her career-high 30 points, which she got in the first game of the season. However, she went way above her season average of 16.2 points per game and 13.7 rebounds per game.
“She’s great in the open court, and then she picks her spots,” DeBolt said of Giles. “So we just try to move her around and when her teammates are getting the ball in good situations, then she’s gonna get her points.”
Also having a nice night was Daralonie Sykes. She finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and a blocked shot in the game. The sophomore guard scored 10 points in each half and made 6 of 10 free throws.
“She’s steady and she wears it on her shoulder,” DeBolt said of Sykes. “She’s been slowed by some nagging injuries. But she’s all heart. That kid is all heart. She had a huge game again tonight. Strong defender, good rebounder, she needs to get to the rack. She got to the rack a lot tonight.”
Finishing as the third double-digit scorer in the game was Kamilah Tiongco. The freshman guard scored 11 points with 3 rebounds. She scored 9 points in the first half where she made three shots from beyond the arc as well while connecting on her only two free throws in the game.
“She’s really learned to play at the level,” DeBolt said of Tiongco. “She’s played really well for us all year and she’s kind of been under the radar. She will pass up open shots, which we don’t want her to do. I took her out early because she was two seconds left on the shot clock and she had an open three and she didn’t take it.”
Others scoring for Napa Valley in the game were Alicia Johnson (9 points, 2 rebounds) and Aaliyah Gaitan (2 points).
With the season winding down, the Storm are in the hunt for a playoff spot again. If they finish third in the conference, they should get in. But to do this, they have to take it one game at a time and handle their business each time out as well.
“If we finish third, we’ll definitely be in the postseason,” DeBolt explained. “We just need to take them one at a time and continue to play hard, continue to just grind.”
Napa Valley will now have a week off until their back in action. After having the league bye on Wednesday, they’ll host Contra Costa on Friday at 5:30 pm.
