Basketball Recap: Elizabeth Searls Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Silver Valley

You can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Apple Valley's strategy against Silver Valley on Thursday. The Apple Valley Sun Devils walked away with a 42-30 win over the Silver Valley Trojans. That result was just more of the same for these two, as the Sun Devils also won the last time the pair played back in January of 2023.

Apple Valley's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Elizabeth Searls, who posted 16 points and four steals. Another player making a difference was Isabelle Cornejo, who had three points in addition to ten boards and five blocks.

Apple Valley was working as a unit and finished the game with 14 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Silver Valley only posted three assists.

Several Trojans players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Naomi Durrah, who put up 21 points along with five boards and four steals. That was a full 70% of Silver Valley's points, marking the tenth time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrey White, who had five points in addition to 17 rebounds and three steals.

Sun Devils

Previous 3 Games (Home)

12/19/24 vs Silver Valley	42-30
12/12/24 vs Granite Hills	51-32
12/09/24 vs Jurupa Hills	53-26

Apple Valley's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-4. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.3 points per game. As for Silver Valley, their loss ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-1.

Apple Valley wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 45-41 defeat against Fontana on the 26th. As for Silver Valley, they will have a little extra prep time after the loss as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on California School for the Deaf-Riverside at 3:30 p.m. on January 4, 2025. California School for the Deaf-Riverside will roll in looking for their 13th straight win, something Silver Valley surely won't give up without a fight.