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Valley Christian skips bye and rolls right along

After missing so many games earlier in the year, the Valley Christian girls basketball team just wants to play.

Taking the floor as the ninth seed in a Division IV sectional, the Eagles welcomed 17th- seeded Heartland Christian on a cold Wednesday night.

“You place yourself on the bracket, so a lot of teams place themselves and they want a bye,” Eagles coach Aaron Agresta said. “I actually want to play, so I tried to get one of those games in the first round where you’re playing instead of getting a bye.

“So, it just keeps your momentum going. You don’t have a lot of sitting time, because even the last few days with snow days. we’ve been sitting a bunch. Just to get out and play and start in a fast way is good.”

After taking an early lead, and playing solid defense, the Eagles flew past the visiting Lions 68-23, limiting Heartland to only nine field goals over the course of the contest.

The Lions only led twice, the second time coming after junior Madi Matthews netted a pair of free throws to create a 5-4 lead. Valley Christian senior Dezyrae Dean responded right back with a layup, and her team never looked back. Fellow senior Kristen Gill drove inside through a group of defenders with time expiring and hit on a layup to make it 14-7 after the first eight minutes.

Senior Olivia Kitchen went to work right away in the second quarter with a jumper on the right side of the key, which was then followed up by another layup under the basket by Gill. Moments later, Kitchen swished a 3 straight through the net off the top of the arc, then Gill recorded another layup following a steal.

Defense, it was the name of the game all evening for Valley Christian, which limited their opponent to only three points in the second quarterto take a 31-10 lead into the locker room.

Dean, who ended with 14 points, felt that creating turnovers was the biggest key to success.

“We hustle very well, and we got to our man very well,” she said. “It was a very important part of the game. I think this gives us a boost, so we won’t be as nervous going into the other games, and it just gives us a confidence boost.”

Gill was also a force, with her game-high 26 points many coming as a result of that solid defense.

Valley Chrisitan (10-3) will play at fifth-seeded Bristol on Saturdayi n a sectional bracket final.”

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