By Don Ketchum

The girls basketball roster from Scottsdale Notre Dame Prep is loaded with underclassmen, but the Saints are beginning to look like a group that has been together for a long time.

Notre Dame opened play in the Hawk Invitational at Buckeye High School on Monday (Dec. 27) with victories over host Buckeye (38-25) and Laveen Cesar Chavez (42-22).

The tournament is employing 20-minute halves with a running clock (except for the last two minutes) and teams shoot only one free throw until they get in the bonus. This helps to speed play along.

“We have a fairly young team and we are trying to rotate the girls in and out as much as we can,’’ said coach Andy Kiltz after the win over Buckeye.

The key to Monday’s first win, he said, “was being patient on offense and playing good half-court defense.’’

The defense forced Buckeye to struggle to score. The Hawks only had two players produce points – guard Nancy Carranza (21 points) and Cheyann Clark (4 points).

Notre Dame, meanwhile, displayed more balance. Sophomore Monica Turley scored 17 points and senior Anna Hughes had 10 to lead the way. If the multi-skilled Turley continues to improve and perhaps grows a few inches, she is capable of becoming one of the Valley’s top players.

As for the team’s possibilities, Kiltz said, “I’ve been telling the girls, in order for us to be able to win a major tournament (state tournament), we have to be able to win the little ones during the holidays such as this one. That is our goal, to win this tournament.’’

Buckeye entered the game as the No. 1 team in Class 4A Division II power points, while Notre Dame was fifth.

Both teams were scheduled to play two more games each on Tuesday (Dec. 28), Notre Dame vs. Buckeye Verrado at noon and Glendale Copper Canyon at 3 p.m., and Buckeye against Phoenix Maryvale at 1:30 p.m. and Glendale Raymond S. Kellis at 6 p.m.

The teams will be seeded after Tuesday’s play and wrap things up with a single-elimination bracket on Wednesday (Dec. 29).