Cheyenne South senior Andraya Dimas throws the ball to a teammate while leaping to avoid a backcourt violation during the game against Wheatland High School Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at South. The Lady Bison defeated Wheatland 53-40. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Cheyenne South junior Reyna Tovar shoots a layup during the game against Wheatland High School Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at South. The Lady Bison defeated Wheatland 53-40. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Cheyenne South senior Jaya Brown sprints across mid court while the ball during the game against Wheatland High School Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at South. The Lady Bison defeated Wheatland 53-40. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Cheyenne South senior Andraya Dimas throws the ball to a teammate while leaping to avoid a backcourt violation during the game against Wheatland High School Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at South. The Lady Bison defeated Wheatland 53-40. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Cheyenne South junior Reyna Tovar shoots a layup during the game against Wheatland High School Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at South. The Lady Bison defeated Wheatland 53-40. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Cheyenne South senior Jaya Brown sprints across mid court while the ball during the game against Wheatland High School Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020, at South. The Lady Bison defeated Wheatland 53-40. Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE – A suffocating full-court defense helped Cheyenne South take control early and never look back during a 53-40 victory over visiting Wheatland on Saturday afternoon.
“That’s how we’re going to have to play defense all year,” Lady Bison coach Chad DeBruyn said. “We’re going to have to turn people over and get things going the other way. We’re not a team that’s just going to fill it up when we get into our half-court offense. We need to create turnovers.”
South (2-1) forced 17 turnovers on the afternoon, eight of those came during the first quarter. Ten of those turnovers were steals.
“We did a good job of anticipating passes and getting steals,” said guard Jaya Brown, who finished with 12 points and five rebounds. “We also did a good job of forcing them into bad passes.”
Bison senior guard Andraya Dimas snared five steals.
Senior guard Reyna Tovar put South up 7-4 when she made a 3-pointer from the right side with 3 minutes, 16 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The Bison never trailed after that, and led by as much as 21 points in the fourth quarter.
Tovar provided the spark early, scoring all six of her points in the opening quarter. Senior Calysta Martinez scored six of her game-high 15 in the second. Senior forward Riley VanTassell scored all of her six points in the third. Brown netted seven of her 12 in the fourth.
DeBruyn was pleased to see different players stepping up at different times.
“(Martinez’s) 15 is pretty standard for her, but all 10 players we had suited up scored,” he said. “We only suited up seniors, so we feel pretty good about each of them contributing.”
Senior Autumn Shrove came off the bench and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds. VanTassell and Alexis Palermo snared six boards apiece.
The Bison wanted to slow Wheatland senior guard Khayla Otero. They held her to four points, all of which came during the first half.
“(Tovar) did a good job on her, and our help defense was the best it’s been all season,” DeBruyn said.
Kaesha Davis fronted the Bulldogs (3-2) with 13 points. She made four 3-pointers.
SOUTH 53, WHEATLAND 40
Wheatland……............. 7 9 9 15 – 40
Cheyenne South…… 14 10 12 17 – 53
Wheatland: Battershell 1, Schaffner 7, Matthews 9, Davis 13, J. Heimsoth 1, Kh. Otero 4, Hanks 4, Ka. Otero 1, Paisley 0, Anderson 0, Graves 0, Nichols 0.
