Stallions finish with even record in tourney
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera South's Jackie Cortez drives against Mendota during Thursday's victory in the Madera Shootout.
The Madera South Stallions opened the Madera shootout with a pair of victories, but ran into the two best teams at the tournament and closed with a pair of losses.
After a rout over Firebaugh in the tournament opener on Wednesday, the Stallions easily defeated the Mendota Aztecs, 50-29, Thursday.
However, the Stallions ran into a 3-point barrage from Garces-Bakersfield in a 56-30 loss Friday and closed the tournament with a 79-49 loss to Fresno on Saturday.
Garces gave Madera South its first loss of the tournament after hitting seven 3-pointers in the victory. The Rams limited Madera South’s Lexi Eller to just one point after she scored 19 against Mendota.
Aleecia Rosel scored 13 points to lead the Stallions, but 11 came in the fourth quarter when the game was decided.
The Stallions scored just five points in the first quarter and trailed 31-8 at the half.
Against the Warriors, the Stallions found themselves trailing 45-16 at the half.
Rosel was the only Stallions player in double figures with 20 points. The rest of the teams combined for 35 points with Darriah Larey and Arelis Chavez scoring eight points each.
After giving up seven 3-pointers against Garces, the Warriors hit 17 3-pointers against the Stallions, including 18 of 20 points in the fourth quarter.
Eller and Rosel combined for 35 points in a 50-29 victory over Mendota on Thursday.
The Stallions limited Mendota to just eight field goals in the game. The Aztecs were 10-of-18 from the free throw line.
However, the Stallions forced 37 turnovers and the Stallions recorded 12 steals.
Jackie Cortez and Taylor Rogers each had four steals while the Stallions took control from the start. Cortez made a jumper to open the scoring after picking up a steal. Eller hit a 3-pointer for a 5-0 lead. After an Exeter bucket, Rosel hit a 3-pointer.
The Monarch added two free throws, but Arelis Chavez scored down low for a six-point lead.
Mendota made four more free throws before Rosel hit a jumper for a 12-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Eller made a free throw and a layup off a Rosel assist for a 15-8 lead. Mendota put back a miss, but Rosel converted a Chavez offensive rebound into a short jumper.
Eller hit a 3-pointer, but Mendota answered with one of its own.
The Stallions then converted two turnovers and a defensive rebound into eight straight points — an Eller layup and 3-pointers from Eller and Rosel — for a 28-13 lead.
Mendota stopped the run with a jumper, but Larey put back a Rosel miss for a 13-point halftime lead.
Eller extended the run to seven by making a layup and a 3-pointer to open the second half scoring. After a Mendota bucket, Eller converted a 3-point play to extend the run to 10-2.
The Aztecs made a free throw and two layups to cut the lead to 14 before Rosel hit a 3-pointer for a 41-24 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Two-and-a-half minutes went by before a team scored in the fourth quarter with a Mendota free throw. Larey put back two straight missed shots and Lataria Price hit a short jumper for a 47-25 fourth quarter lead.
Rosel extended the lead to nine with a 3-pointer and Mendota closed the game with four straight points for a Stallions’ victory.
