McClintock 3rd quarter sinks Campo Verde

February 10, 2022 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


McClintock's Aiyanna Perkins (23) drives the lane in the Chargers' victory over Campo Verde. (Azpreps365 photo)

McClintock's girls basketball team dominated a four-minute stretch of the third quarter to turn a nip-and-tuck, 5A play-in game vs. Campo Verde into a rout on Thursday night.

The #14 Chargers outscored the #19 Coyotes, 25-9, in the quarter pulling away to a 75-55 victory at Doc Zinke Gymnasium. All the higher-seeded teams prevailed in Thursday's 5A play-in matchups. McClintock (18-8) next plays at the #3 seed on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Campo Verde's season ends with a 15-12 record. The Coyotes hadn't been to postseason since 2018.

McClintock, which hadn't played a postseason game since 2011, was led by freshman guard Aiyanna Perkins. Perkins led four Chargers in double-figure-scoring with 22 points. She was in the thick of third-period run tallying eight of her team-high points. Junior Xaria Culver added 15 points and juniors Shelby Shaffer and Anna Jorgenson chipped in with 11 apiece. Campo Verde had three players finish in double figures - Kambry Perry (18), Allisa Saunders (17) and Arwen Griggs (10).

A two-point game at halftime (McClintock on top 31-29), stayed close for the first 2 1/2 minutes of the third. The Chargers stepped on the accelorator improving a 36-33 lead with 5:20 left in the period to 51-36 at the 1:20 mark. Along with Perkins offense in the quarter, Jorgenson sank two of her threes for the evening and Culver sank one behind the arc.

Campo Verde's Allison Saunders (24) shoots in the first half of the Coyotes' loss to McClintock (Azpreps365 photo)