Raiders trump Kings 2nd straight time

The coming of the new year brought with it a new and improved Cibola girls basketball team.

The Raiders continued their run through January at home on Tuesday with a 48-38 win over Kofa, their sixth win in seven games in 2008.

"I think there's more confidence and better camaraderie, but mainly we're playing better team defense and being consistent for all four quarters," Cibola coach Justin Hager said.

Playing their second straight home game of this three-game series, Cibola (7-5, 4-0 Gila Valley) exploited its taller players down low from start to finish, passing the ball over the top of Kofa's (3-9, 2-2) 2-1-2 zone and lobbing entry passes into Candice Lungreen and Kelsey Burbey for point-blank buckets.

"It comes down to overall size," Kofa coach Eric Krepps said. "I think I have the smallest team in the region, and so you have to combat that with other things. Some of them worked, but when we made substitutions people didn't know what to do and it led to too many easy baskets."

Lungreen had a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds, while Burbey added 13 points, making seven of her 12 free-throw attempts.

After jumping out to a 16-8 lead after the first quarter Cibola's defense kicked in gear, holding the Kings scoreless for the first five minutes of both the second and third quarters.

"We try to treat every possession as a mini game, and if you make a defensive stop you win that game," Hager said.

Plagued by turnovers throughout the night, Kofa could only muster 17 points through three quarters, but more than doubled its total in the final period. Regina Brown had 11 of her team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Kings rallied to shave a 19-point deficit down to nine, but the Raiders continued to make their foul shots and stay in front.

"That's the way they always play," Krepps said. "I'm proud of they way they played, especially in that fourth quarter."

Kofa will finally get a chance to play Cibola on its own floor Feb. 1.