Gillom, who
tries to get as much playing time as possible for her bench players outside of
the outstanding starting five, got a great effort from sophomore guard Victoria
Saucedo.
Saucedo
entered the game in the second quarter and helped the Gators outscore Liberty
20-7 for a 39-13 halftime lead, and Xavier went on to post a 63-22 victory to
remain unbeaten at 13-0.
She scored
11 points (including a 3-pointer), all in the second quarter, grabbed six
rebounds, handed out a pair of assists and had two steals – a productive
night’s work.
For her
efforts, Saucedo was named as one of two players of the game, along with senior
point guard Leilani McIntosh.
“What “Tori’
did tonight will help all of our bench players realize that on any given night,
this is capable of happening. We need to have players to be able to step up,’’
Gillom said.
That could
prove to be beneficial for the Gators as they move toward the state tournament
in February, the coach added.
Another big
piece of the puzzle against Liberty was Xavier’s defense. The team was given an
opportunity to rest up with no practice over the weekend (no practice on
Saturday), and it showed.
“Our defense
was all over the place and we needed that,’’ Gillom said. “Our rotations, our
execution . . . we looked like a team.’’
The Gators
also were accurate from long range, converting five 3-pointers. Senior Guard
Addie Putnam had two, while Saucedo, junior guard-forward Elysia Fleetwood and
senior forward Truly Helton each had one.
Xavier
players will focus on exams along with their fellow classmates this week, then
return to the practice floor on Friday (Dec. 21) and Saturday (Dec. 22).
Assistant coach Patrick Mangosing will run those sessions, with Gillom visiting
her mother for Christmas.
The Gators
will then be among 27 teams to participate in the Lady Titan Winter Hoops
Classic at Phoenix Arcadia from Dec. 27-29. Xavier will play three games over
the first two days, against Mesa Westwood, Tucson Ironwood Ridge and Phoenix
Desert Vista, with possibly two more on the final day.
Xavier Prep 63, Peoria Liberty 22
XCP – Addie Putnam 21, Victoria Saucedo
11, Leilani McIntosh 10, Paris Rasheed-Moore 7, Rachel Orr 4, Elysia Fleetwood
3, Truly Helton 3, Bianca Nava 2, Sophie Sash 2.
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