PV moves on to championship - Enterprise-Record

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

PV moves on to championship

Vikings top Shasta, eye fourth section title in last five seasons

Pleasant Valley guard AJ Gambol (25) drives past Shasta’s Bria Tate (12) in Tuesday’s Northern Section Division III semifinal. Gambol led all scorers with 18 points.

Pleasant Valley’s Maddux Wilson (13) scores on a layup as Shasta’s Carlie Kenyon (3) looks on in a Northern Section Division III semifinal on Tuesday at Varley Gym in Chico. PHOTOS BY RICK SILVA — RED BLUFF DAILY NEWS

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By Matthew Wreden

E-R Correspondent

CHICO >> For the second consecutive year, the Pleasant Valley Vikings girls basketball team will play for a D-III Northern Section title. The No. 1 seed Vikings (26-3) took care of business Tuesday night against the No. 4 seed Shasta Wolves (14-12), winning their semifinal matchup 76-40 at Varley Gym.

In the first quarter, the Vikings got going with a layup from sophomore guard AJ Gambol. Gambol and the Vikings played a lot of isolation basketball on Tuesday, relying on their ability to drive to the basket in 1-on-1 situations. The Vikings’ plan to attack the basket paid off massively.

The Shasta Wolves couldn’t keep their hands out of the Vikings’ ball-handlers’ space and committed nine teams’ fouls in just the first quarter.

“We attacked the rim pretty well tonight,” said head coach Bob Paddock. “When we attack the basketball they are either going to foul or we go up with an open shot. In the first half, we got three of their players in foul trouble just by attacking the rim. Our shots were not falling in on the outside so I told the girls to get to the rim and they did pretty well.”

Maddux Wilson, a sophomore guard for the Vikings, got going with a layup with 51 seconds left in the first quarter. The Vikings led 17-14 after the first quarter.

“Every year we have a bye,” Paddock said. “We came out rusty and we haven’t played in 12 days. What you simulate in practice, you can’t simulate in games. So, the first half we were rusty. Our players missed layups and our shooting was off.”

Wilson came out aggressive to start the second quarter, pouring in two easy layups to get the Vikings going.

It was the second quarter when the Vikings were able to step on the Wolves’ throats and increase their lead to double digits. It was a 14-7 run that included Gambol drilling two 3-pointers in the quarter. The Vikings took a 34-21 lead going into the half.

In the first half, the Vikings were able to draw 11 fouls on the Wolves. They went 10-19 at the free-throw line.

The Vikings continued to attack the basket coming into the second half. Wilson was able to draw contact on their first offensive possession and drew a foul. Wilson then stole the ball at mid-court and had an easy layup on the other end.

The Vikings opened the margin even more in the second half by continuing to attack the basket and playing intense defense. During the quarter the Vikings were able to go on a 21-7 run and the Vikings took a 55-28 lead going into the final quarter.

“Second half we played much better. In the third quarter we started to blow by them,” Paddock said. “Shasta is a great team and it’s hard to play a team three times in a season. In the second half, we played like the first couple times we played them.”

The Vikings’ defense only allowed 26 points during the final three quarters after allowing 14 in the first quarter.

“Overall I thought our defense was all right tonight,” Paddock said. “In the first half, I thought we didn’t help that well. We played a 2-3 zone pretty well and it worked pretty well for us with our man defense. It seemed like we rebounded the ball pretty well.”

By the fourth quarter, the Vikings were coasting to their semi-final win. They put up another 18 points in the fourth while only allowing 8 points. Gambol finished with a team-high 17 points and Wilson added 16 points of her own.

The Vikings will travel to Butte College to take on the cross-town rival Chico Panthers for the championship. The Panthers edged out a two-point win at home over the No. 3 seed Foothill Cougars Tuesday night.

That game will take place at 7:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at Butte College.

“I think we have been playing pretty well in the league,” Paddock said. “We have a good young group and they are experienced. It’s a much different team from last year. It’s our rival and it’s at Butte College. It will be tough.”