Hawks get biggest win of season
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Liberty’s Kaylee White gets off a shot during a victory Monday over Tranquillity. White scored 16 points with four 3-pointers in the win.
The Liberty Hawks came close to invoking a running clock with a 40-point or more lead, but settled for a 61-29 victory over Tranquillity on the opening day of the Madera Shootout at Madera High School.
The Hawks led by as much as 37 points in the fourth quarter, but a late surge kept the Tigers within 40 and the Hawks got their biggest win, in terms of margin of victory, this season under first-year head coach Ashley Chavira on Monday afternoon.
Madison Devine led the Hawks with 26 points to go with nine rebounds. Kaylee White added 16 points with four 3-pointers and Camile Vestal had eight points.
The Hawks opened the game by scoring the first 10 points. White was hot early, hitting her first two 3-point attempts and Devine hit two mid-range jumpers for the 10-point lead.
However, after going 4-of-7 to open the quarter, the Hawks missed their last 12 shots and led 10-2 at the end of the first quarter.
The Hawks found their footing in the second quarter. Vestal opened the scoring with a free throw. Then, Devine made a free throw, Whit hit a short jumper, Vestal made a layup, Devine made back-to-back layups, Vestal put back a miss and Devine made a layup off a Vestal assist for a 15-1 run that lasted for seven of the eight second quarter minutes.
After a Tranquillity bucket, Devine made a layup for a 27-5 halftime lead. The Hawks were 4-of-19 in the first quarter, but balanced it out by shooting 7-of-16 in the second quarter without a turnovers.
The Tigers started hitting some shots against the Hawks and Liberty answered right back.
The Hawks opened the second half with four straight turnovers while not attempting a shot. Tranquillity made a layup and a 3-pointer to get into double-figures.
White hit a 3-pointers to open the Liberty second half scoring. Devine made a free throw and Karsyn Woods put back Devine’s second free throw for a bucket. Vestal added a layup and the Hawks had an 8-0 run to open a 35-10 lead.
The Tigers scored four straight points before Devine hit a 12-foot jumper and Annalise Holland made a free throw. After a Tranquility layup, Devine answered with a 17-foot jumper and followed with a seven footer two possessions later.
Vestal matched a Tigers’ free throw with one of her own for a 43-17 lead. Two Devine free throws and a Holland putback opened Liberty’s lead to 47-19 lead at the end of the third quarter.
The Hawks opened the fourth quarter on an 11-0 run with Holland’s third quarter bucket.
Brianna Melgoza opened the fourth quarter with a layup and Devine hit a 3-pointer. Holland made two free throws and White hit a 15-foot jumper for a 56-19 lead with about five minutes left in the game.
The Tigers made a technical foul free throw and hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 33, but Melgoza put back a miss for a 58-23 Liberty lead. White closed out the Hawks’ scoring with a 3-pointer.
Tranquility finished the game with back-to-back 3-pointers for a 32-point Liberty win.
The Hawks continue in the Shootout against Kerman at 4:30 p.m. today and plays Madera South on Thursday at 3 p.m. to close the tournament.
