Glendale, AZ. – The #13 Lady Firestorm saw five players reach double figures, and a defensive effort which held the Hope International University Royals to just two field goals in the fourth quarter help them to remain perfect in GSAC play with a final score of 74-60. 
 
The Royals came out firing from the tip.  Guard Faith Brinkman hit three three-pointers, and the Royals led 15-9 halfway through the first period.  Graciela Roybal helped to keep things close though as she hit two three-pointers of her own in the period.  Freshman Taylor Schwab then came in off the bench and hit a three pointer of her own which gave the Firestorm a one-point lead.  A three pointer and layup by the Royals Jada Long though helped the Royals recover the lead and head into the second quarter with a four-point lead.
 
In the second quarter, senior Halle Payne score six points to keep the team in contact early, and the team's defensive pressure turned up over the final half of the quarter, creating four turnovers and a blocked shot to help the Firestorm regain the lead before halftime.  The Royals would maintain their four-point lead till the 5:02 mark of the second quarter, but it was there that the Firestorm would score the next eight points, four of those by Lauren Gunn, and the Firestorm went to halftime leading by one point. 
 
The seesaw battle continued after halftime, this time with the Royals holding the slight edge.  The Firestorm would take the early edge though with Emily Till scoring six points in the quarter.  Till's jumper at the 4:38 mark which put the Firestorm up by five points.  But then the Royals Aliyah Gonzalez, a problem for the Firestorm all night long, took over the final half of the quarter scoring five of their next seven points to pull the Royals even.  Gonzalez would score eight points in the quarter, and it was a tie game heading to the fourth quarter.
 
But it was in the fourth quarter when the tide turned the Firestorms way.  The Firestorm turned up their defensive pressure and held the Royals without a field goal for the first eight minutes of the final period. By the time they finally made a basket, the Firestorm lead was double figures.  And even that basket was immediately followed by a Payne jump shot bringing her total to a team leading 17 points.  The Firestorm won the period and the game by fourteen points.
 
Thoughts from Head Coach Rusty Rogers
"Our defense really gave us a huge lift in the second half, including a dominant performance on the defensive boards.  Very proud of the play of our non-starters as they outscored Hope's bench 21-0!  It was a also great to see five double-figure scorers from our lineup – that balance will bode well for our future games."
 
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