JACKSONVILLE — Grandview Prep’s girls basketball team left no room for doubt in their second straight Class 1A state championship.
Victoria Valle averaged over a point per minute on the court in the first half, guiding the Pride to a 71-37 state title victory over Orlando Christian Prep on Saturday at UNF Arena in Jacksonville, the trophy-earning exclamation point to a series of postseason blowouts.
Valle finished the afternoon with a team-leading 26 points and five assists, while Arizona commit Jasleen Green contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. Ameera Kone recovered from the first-half foul trouble to add 11 points and six rebounds on the floor.
Of the 32 minute game, Grandview Prep held the lead for 31:06. The Pride’s largest lead was 38 points in the game.
“We just had a game plan, which was just to find the mismatch if we could, and have a good energy,” Valle said. “It’s really on the defensive end. We played our hearts out and we did what we had to do, so they made the offense really easy.”
Valle has driven two hours to get to school every day this year, but she says she did it with a “smile on her face” because it awarded her the opportunity to play with the Pride. In Saturday’s match, all of that travel and effort paid off.
When Kone fell into early foul trouble, playing just 6:11 in the first half, the Warriors might have expected things to go smoother in their comeback bid ― but even without their leading scorer from the semifinal two days prior, Grandview Prep showed no mercy in adapting and overcoming.
“That’s what makes our team special,” head coach Jeff Price said. “You know, you can have someone like Ameera, who’s a really good player, show up in the semi and have a great game. And then we come into this game and Amira gets some foul trouble and Victoria and Jazz again do what they do and step up. I think that showed what our team is all about. Somebody goes down and other people step up.”
The Pride put together a 38-16 first half, reminiscent of many a dominant start this season, with Green’s 10-point first half supporting Valle’s 15-point effort.
“It’s amazing,” Green said. “I mean, leaving high school basketball as a state champ, that’s all you could want as a senior. So it’s great.”
Grandview Prep puts a lot of emphasis on a defense-first approach to the court, and the results of the Pride’s suffocating coverage scheme were evident in the title game.
Orlando Prep struggled to develop any lasting momentum throughout the game, with the Pride forcing a number of turnovers though Seanna Crooks and scoring off subsequent fast-breaks.
Playing with a 30 point lead for much of the game, Grandview Prep was able to activate cruise control, though that luxury was earned through the blood, sweat, and tears of a national schedule that featured many of the nation’s top girls basketball teams.
“I think it becomes pretty evident when we get here what we’ve been through as a team,” Price said. “So, you know, that’s the goal and our goal’s worked out the last few years, playing really, really good people and then showing up here and finding a way to get it done.”
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Grandview Prep girls basketball claims second straight state title
Reporting by Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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