The Sierra Timberwoves had every reason to be confident as they took the court Tuesday night to battle the visiting Sonora Wildcats.
Sierra stunned Sonora on the road, 36-34, on Jan. 5 and proved that anything can happen on a given night.
But with the bitter taste of defeat still fresh on its tongue, Sonora outran, outshot, and outplayed Sierra on its way to 42-22 victory to even the score.
Sonora (6-3 Valley Oak League, 11-9 overall) has played its way back into contention since the conference-opening loss to Sierra.
“We just had a solid team effort out there tonight, and it was nice to make easy put backs in order to help us gain a lead,” Sonora head coach Lloyd Longeway said. “They came up and beat us the last time, and that goes to show that the VOL is a tough league where any team can show up and make a statement.”
Initially, it was Sonora’s Brittany Malone that started giving Sierra (4-5 VOL, 9-10 overall) trouble – reigning down a 3-point shot in the first quarter that topped the Timberwolves’ entire offensive production for the period.
Malone stymied Sierra on both ends of the floor, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds.
“They came out of to play tonight and they just flat out beat us,” Sierra head coach Steve Unterholzner said. “We had a problem with turnovers that they were able to capitalize, and that mentally took its toll.
“I think that tonight was about hunger, and when it came down to it, they were just far more hungry than we were.”
Stephanie Vanni led Sierra’s defense with six rebounds and a steal, while Lia Unterholzner paced the Timberwolves in scoring with six points.
Rachel Reece finished with 10 points for the Wildcats, and Tori Selesia recorded four rebounds and three steals.
Sierra stunned Sonora on the road, 36-34, on Jan. 5 and proved that anything can happen on a given night.
But with the bitter taste of defeat still fresh on its tongue, Sonora outran, outshot, and outplayed Sierra on its way to 42-22 victory to even the score.
Sonora (6-3 Valley Oak League, 11-9 overall) has played its way back into contention since the conference-opening loss to Sierra.
“We just had a solid team effort out there tonight, and it was nice to make easy put backs in order to help us gain a lead,” Sonora head coach Lloyd Longeway said. “They came up and beat us the last time, and that goes to show that the VOL is a tough league where any team can show up and make a statement.”
Initially, it was Sonora’s Brittany Malone that started giving Sierra (4-5 VOL, 9-10 overall) trouble – reigning down a 3-point shot in the first quarter that topped the Timberwolves’ entire offensive production for the period.
Malone stymied Sierra on both ends of the floor, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds.
“They came out of to play tonight and they just flat out beat us,” Sierra head coach Steve Unterholzner said. “We had a problem with turnovers that they were able to capitalize, and that mentally took its toll.
“I think that tonight was about hunger, and when it came down to it, they were just far more hungry than we were.”
Stephanie Vanni led Sierra’s defense with six rebounds and a steal, while Lia Unterholzner paced the Timberwolves in scoring with six points.
Rachel Reece finished with 10 points for the Wildcats, and Tori Selesia recorded four rebounds and three steals.
