Hot start lifts Viking Women to 6-0

Hot start lifts Viking Women to 6-0

A 25-0 run in the first quarter was more than enough for the Grayson Vikings as they defeated DC-Cedar Valley 86-45 on day two of the New Mexico Classic to move to 6-0 on the season. 
It was a defensive battle for the first several minutes of the game, with neither team able to get into a rhythm offensively. Cedar Valley led 4-2, until the Viking offense found its rhythm to jump ahead 25-4 at the end of the first quarter.
"Once we got past the first few minutes, we really settled down," Head Coach Steve Lowe said. "We weren't really on point, and were slow to react at times to start."
The Vikings kept their momentum going in the second quarter. After a Cedar Valley free throw, Shaki Abdulazeez came away with a steal, and layup and a 27-5 lead. The Vikings went on a 10-3 run, capped off by a floater in the lane from Madison Martin to push the lead to 37-8. Later in the quarter, Tay Biglow finished the three, and Kayla Jones hit a tough layup inside to give the Vikings a 47-11 lead. She later hit a layup just before the half, to give Grayson a 51-13 lead at the break.
The second half was evenly matched, with the Vikings holding a slight 35-32 advantage, but their first half was un-matched, as they closed out the victory.
The Viking defense was suffocating all afternoon long, forcing 25 Cedar Valley turnovers. Diana Letaru was the leading scorer with 14 points off the bench, as all active players played significant minutes, as the early season grind continues. Valajah Jackson added 12 points off the bench, and Jones had 11 and nine rebounds to lead the team on the glass. Martin was the leader in assists with eight.
"These are great games to get some bench players some big minutes," he said. "They get to showcase what they can do, and it keeps our starters fresh."
The 6-0 start is Grayson's best start, since they started 5-0 in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
"In the grand scheme of things, when you're trying to make the national tournament, and trying to get ranked, we can't have too many hiccups early on," Coach Lowe said. "For us to be 6-0 right now with the opportunity to play the number three team in the country, hopefully gives us the opportunity to be ranked within the next week or two."
The Vikings will face the Number 3 team in NJCAA Divison 1 the New Mexico Thunderbirds to close out the New Mexico Classic on Sunday, Nov. 17. 
"New Mexico is big, athletic and they can really shoot the ball," Coach Lowe said. "If you double them, they can hurt you. How well can we defend one on one, and rotate when we need to. New Mexico is a National Tournament team. This game will let us know where we are at, and it'll be a fun game."
Tip-off is set for 3 pm.