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Stallions overwhelm Lincoln
Comments 0 | Recommend 0Metro contender Sierra takes advantage of 58 Lancer turnovers
Sierra, which hopes to be one of the area’s best Class 4A girls basketball teams, tuned up for tougher competition by whipping Lincoln 57-28 on Thursday at the Stallions’ gym.
It was the opener for both teams and it showed in the turnover totals: Lincoln had a mind-boggling 58 while Sierra committed 27.
“It was definitely a good warm-up,” first-year Sierra coach Nate Hansen said. “We have an inexperienced team and we learned what we need to work on.”
Janeesa “Chucky” Jeffery, Sierra’s do-everything 5-foot-10 junior, put together an impressive stat line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, 12 steals and four assists.
Still, she figures better games are in her future.
“I like a more intense game because it brings out your best,” Jeffery said. “It felt good just to be out there after so much practice time, but we started out pretty sloppy.
“We need to work on better shot selection and staying with our man more on defense.”
Sierra led just 10-6 after one quarter but expanded that edge to 31-12 by halftime.
“The second quarter just killed us,” first-year Lincoln coach Dennis Campbell said.
Lincoln was 4-15 last season and 1-18 the previous year.
“Last year we got blown out by 58 points by Sierra,” Campbell said. “This year we beat ourselves with all those turnovers.”
Still, Campbell was impressed by Sierra’s talent and aggressive full-court defense.
“On the 4A level, they’re probably as good a team as we’ll see all year,” he said.
The Stallions had 28 steals, but Lincoln also suffered from woeful ballhandling.
Chelsea Rotondo scored 15 points for Sierra while Brittany Green had 7 and sophomore Sylvia Black added 6.
“Our offense wasn’t sharp, and we need to toughen up our defense,” Hansen said.
He praised Cassie Erickson — who had six rebounds, four assists and four steals — and Jeffery for her leadership.
“I think we’re a playoff team,” Hansen said.
“"Harrison, Fountain-Fort Carson and Falcon will all be good. How good we can be depends on how hard we work to get better.”
CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0250 or sports@gazette.com
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