O'Connor holds off Valley Vista

This one had the feel of a playoff game from the opening tip. Momentum swings, tough shot-making, questionable moments, and players who wanted the ball when it counted most. Sandra Day O’Connor walked out with a 51–50 win, but Valley Vista made them earn every inch of it. Valley Vista was down senior forward Deja Strong, but O'Connor was also missing guard Franny Sofia, who will make her debut next week.

Valley Vista came out aggressive and confident, jumping on SDO early and building an 11–4 lead. They were pushing tempo, attacking gaps, and playing with purpose. But SDO didn’t panic. They slowly worked their way back, settled into their sets, and by the end of the first quarter, the score was knotted at 14–14. That told you early this wasn’t going to be an

easy game for either squad.

The second quarter was a tug-of-war. Valley Vista opened with a strong 12–5 run and looked like they were ready to separate. That’s when SDO answered with one of their best stretches of the game, a 7–0 run that cut the score to 26–25 and shifted momentum. Kinsey Murray then stepped up and knocked down a big corner three to stop the bleeding. At halftime, Valley Vista held a slim 29–27 edge. Murray had already piled up 17 points, while Ava Schooler had 11 for SDO, and both were clearly the engines for their teams.

The third quarter is where SDO really showed its toughness. Back-to-back buckets from Schooler gave SDO a 34–31 lead with just under five minutes left. Senior Audrey Bhesania followed with a smooth mid-range jumper, and Schooler came right back with another basket to stretch it to 38–31. That was a high-level run built on execution and composure by the Eagles. Valley Vista regrouped, but SDO closed the quarter in control, leading 41–37.

Then came the Kinsey Murray show in the fourth. She opened the quarter doing exactly what elite scorers do when their team needs them, hitting back-to-back buckets to cut the lead to 43–42. You could feel Valley Vista gaining confidence. Bhesania answered again, this time with a big three to make it 45–42, and that swung momentum back to SDO.

With just over two minutes left, Bhesania calmly knocked down two free throws to push it to 49–44. Murray responded with two of her own, refusing to let the game slip away. Schooler later hit two clutch free throws with about a minute left, but Valley Vista answered on the other end to make it 51–48 and keep things interesting.

The most controversial moment came when Murray was fouled on a breakaway, and it was ruled intentional. That call brought instant reaction, and in a one-point game, everything feels m. Valley Vista had multiple chances late, but SDO found a way to survive with clutch defense. When the horn sounded, the scoreboard read 51–50 in favor of Sandra Day O'Connor. The Eagles were led by Schooler with 23 points, Bhesania with 14, and Sophia Davis with 8 (all in the first quarter). The Monsoon was led by Murray with 32, including 13 in the fourth quarter. The Eagles moved to 11-2, and the Monsoon fell to 8-4.