It does matter whether it is home, away, or a neutral site; the Woodland Christian girl’s basketball team continues to grind out wins, reaching 13 consecutive victories following another huge 76-24 win over Sierra Delta League foes Mesa Verde.

The Cardinals (15-5, 7-0 SDL) finished the opening round of SLD play with a clean 7-0 record Friday night. They scored 23, 20, and 22 points in the first three quarters.

“While Mesa Verde hit some shots in the third quarter, we played a really good game defensively with 30 steals, and we pulled off the full-court press after the first quarter,” Cardinals head coach Shiloh Sorbello said.

Teagan Hayes, Ellie Sumner and Keziah Maldonado-Lemus led the way on defense with 9, 6, and 6 steals, respectively.

The Cardinals also dominated offensively, shooting over 50% from the field, including a 9-of-21 from deep.

Hayes continued to build on her MVP-like season with another big game, scoring 25 points in just 23 minutes. She was also a marvel of efficiency, shooting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc for 12 of her points.

Sophomore Siena Sorbello chipped in 12 points, 8 boards, and 3 blocks in 17 minutes of work. Fellow sophomore Bailee Broward had a breakout scoring game with a career-high 16 points. Elena Ganyo had a well-rounded game with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals, while freshman Tyler Johns hit both of her shots for 4 points.“The court vision and passing was a highlight tonight,” Sorbello said. “We have been emphasizing the value of making the extra pass for a great shot instead of just settling for an okay shot.”

Dicing up the Mesa Verde defense was star guard Maldonado-Lemus, who racked up 11 assists, while Sumner chipped in with 7 assists.

Up next for the Cardinals will be a Monday night home game against Vacaville Christian to open up the second round of SDL play.

“Monday’s game at home against Vacaville Christian should be a lot of fun because we have a friendly rivalry with them,” Sorbello said. “We will take the weekend off and hope to get off to another fast start on Monday. Now that we’re halfway through our league, we know we should finish the league undefeated and have momentum going into playoffs.”