VIKING GIRLS DON'T LET UP ON COUGARS
By Marc Atwood
marcatwood@aol.com
 
(1/29.08 Chico, CA) The Pleasant Valley girls' varsity basketball team used a balanced attack to take a 65-44 win over Foothill in an Eastern Athletic League game played Tuesday at Varley Gym.
 
Kelsey Mansfield made a hoop 29 seconds into the game for the Vikings' first score. A free throw by Courtney Axner with 6:19 remaining in the first quarter accounted for the Cougars' first point of the evening. Morgan Blofsky hit a shot with 3:36 to go in the first as PV reached 10 points. A three-pointer by Courtney Bobinger with 1:05 left in the period extended the Vikings' lead to 18-5.
 
Morgan Davis made one of two free throws 44 seconds into the second quarter to cut Foothill's deficit to 12 points. Paige Burington made Pleasant Valley's first score of the period by making a free throw with 6:54 left. Charity Fox hit a pair of free throws with 4:17 remaining in the first half as the Cougars were down 25-14. A free throw by Burington with 1:38 to go until halftime gave the Vikings a 28-16 advantage.
 
Mansfield's bucket 26 seconds into the third quarter put PV ahead 35-21. A basket and a free throw by Brittany WInslow with 5:11 remaining in the third brought Foothill within 14 points at 38-24. Emily Drews sank a basket with 4:10 to go in the period as the Vikings went up 43-26. Delaney Wilson made a shot with 2:38 left in the third as the Cougars reached 30 points.
 
A basket and a free throw from Drews with 5:58 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Pleasant Valley a 56-35 lead. A three-pointer by Fox 22 seconds later gave Foothill its first score of the period. Lacy Coleman made a hoop with 3:26 to go in the game as the Cougars trailed 58-42. Erica Wieck's shot with 2:14 left put the Vikings ahead 63-43.
 
Drews led the way for Pleasant Valley with 16 points and seven rebounds. Bobinger scored 15 points. Mansfield added nine points and four rebounds. Foothill got an 11-point and six rebound effort from Fox, while Axner scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds.