Heritage wins easily to give Coach Meijer her 100th win
Coach Deanna Meijer was honored by her players on her 100th victory. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group) By Parker Costin, Correspondent ...
By Parker Costin, Correspondent
Heritage High School had a great defensive showing in its girls basketball match-up against Miller High of Fontana Tuesday night. The Patriots won, 82-14, improving their record to 6-0 and giving coach Deanna Meijer her 100th career victory.
Heritage won the game’s opening tip-off and LaKaila Trimble quickly started the scoring with an easy layup. The Patriots would then go on a 20-0 run after giving up two free throws to Miller, giving them a 22-2 lead after the first quarter.
Trimble was the center of Heritage’s shutdown defense with 4 steals and 3 defensive rebounds on the night. Heritage’s defensive stats added up to 14 steals and 8 rebounds. This resulted in the Patriots holding Miller to 4-of-19 shooting from the field, with the remainder of their points coming from a result of free throws.
Another cornerstone of the Patriots’ defense was senior Sierra Maxwell, who put up a defensive stat line of 7 steals and 2 rebounds. That kept Miller’s offense at bay and forced them to be shaky with the ball, giving Heritage an opportunity to capitalize on mistakes.
The defense wasn’t the only impressive part about Tuesday night’s game. Heritage’s offensive capabilities were on also brilliant display. They would go on to shoot 30-of-42 from the field, with half of their points coming from beyond the arc. Their top offensive player of the night was Maxwell, who went 7-for-11 in the paint and 3-for-5 from behind the line.
Maxwell also put her playmaking skills to use, setting her teammates up for success with 7 assists on the night. Another 3-point threat for Heritage was Raelyn Saclolo, who went 2-for-6 in highly contested 3-point attempts. Rebounds were also the key to success in Heritage’s offensive showcase. The Patriots had a total of 10 offensive rebounds, with Trimble leading the team with 5 rebounds.
When asked about their defensive outing and if it was part of their original game plan, Meijer said, “That’s always our game plan. We really focus on defense every single day in practice. That is what we need to take pride in is our defense, absolutely."
Meijer also wasn’t surprised by their strong play throughout the entirety of the game, with her players not letting their foot off the gas even when leading by a high amount. She also said she expects the same type of play for the rest of the season.
“We focus on defense and the game plan is always to win and to play hard and to stay healthy,” she said. “We played really hard tonight and a couple of girls went down with some hard falls, but hopefully they’ll be back and ready to go.”
The players who went down were Tamia Jackson and Saclolo, who went down late in the game attempting a 3-point shot. The injuries did not appear to be serious.
Heritage looks to continue its winning streak when the Patriots take on Tahquitz High School on Wednesday night.
Sierra Maxwell drives to the basket for a layup in Tuesday's game. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)
Mya Anderson heads up the court on a fast break. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)
Diana Contreras goes up for the shot for Heritage on Tuesday. (Action Captures Media Group)
LaKaila Trimble drives to the basket for Heritage. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group)
