Jaguars rout Rancho girls, stay unbeaten in Northeast

Desert Pines’ game plan against Rancho was simple Friday: Use its inside strength to wear down the Rams.

After not getting a field goal in the paint in the first quarter, the Desert Pines twosome of Clarissa Davis and Andrea Jefferson took over.

Davis and Jefferson combined to score 32 points, and the Jaguars remained unbeaten in Northeast League play with a 62-35 road victory.

It was a sophomore who got Desert Pines off and running, as TaQuiyyah Boyles made five consecutive field goals in the first quarter as the Jaguars (10-2, 5-0 Northeast) raced to a 14-6 lead.

Once Desert Pines coach Mel Washington got his players to throw the ball inside, Rancho had no answer.

Davis led Desert Pines with 19 points. Boyles finished with 16, and Jefferson supplied 13.

“It’s like having a ’57 Chevy with no transmission — it takes a little to get things going,” Washington said. “Once we got things going, we were fine. We played well in spurts, but I know (Rancho) will be ready for us next time.”

Jefferson scored eight of Desert Pines’ 12 points during the second quarter, and the Jaguars held a 26-13 lead at halftime.

After being limited to one field goal in the first half, Davis took off in the third period with 10 points, and the Jaguars expanded their lead to 47-22 after three quarters.

“When we get Clarissa and Andrea going, we are tough to stop,” Washington said. “However, I know teams are going to defense us differently in the second half of the season. It was great to get a solid game from Boyles.

“Yes, it always feels great to win. We still have things to learn, like playing our game no matter who the opponent is. We still need to put a full game together, but it’s great to be atop the league.” 

Khalia Branch scored 19 points off the bench to lead Rancho (9-7, 2-3), which fell behind quickly by missing its first seven shots.