Spring Valley girls roll to seventh straight victory with rout of Ridge View

Spring Valley girls basketball coach Anne Long called her team’s loss to Ridge View last month as a “wake-up call.”

The defending Class 4A champion Vikings definitely have responded as they won their seventh straight game with a 64-40 victory in the rematch with the Blazers on Friday.

With the win, Spring Valley takes control of the Region 4-4A race heading into the final week of the regular season. The Vikings lead Ridge View by 1 ½ games.

Spring Valley (20-2, 7-1) has two games left, while Ridge View has three.

“These girls have just been so focused and determined since we lost to Ridge View,” Long said. “The loss kind of woke up this team, and it has shown out there on the court.”

Since the loss to Ridge View on Jan. 14, the Vikings’ average margin of victory has been 31.2 points in the seven victories.

Spring Valley’s pressure defense caused problems for the Blazers early on and set the tone for the rest of the game.

Shantay Taylor led Spring Valley with 22 points, and Christian Hithe added 20 points. Anaja Matthews added 15, including eight in the first quarter, as the Vikings jumped out to a 14-3 lead.

Spring Valley used an 18-6 run in the second quarter to lead 39-21 at halftime. The Vikings’ lead grew to as many as 30 points in the second half.

“We have been ready for this game, and we weren’t going to walk out here without a ‘W,’” Hithe said. “We played with a lot of intensity and weren’t going to be denied.”

Akeiha Hobbs led Ridge View (14-6, 5-2) with nine points. The Blazers struggled hitting from the outside, which is one of their strengths. Ridge View averaged at least six made 3-pointers a game over its last 10 contests, but hit just two against Spring Valley.

BOYS

Ridge View 83, Spring Valley 69

Xavier Mason scored 20 points, and the Blazers hit eight 3-pointers and handed the second-ranked Vikings their second straight loss.

The win helps the Blazers, who had lost three of their last four games, remain in the race for the Region 4-4A title. Ridge View (12-7, 4-3) is in third place and trails by Blythewood by 1 ½ games, but plays the Bengals twice next week to close out the regular season.

“This was a great confidence win for us,” Ridge View coach John Combs said. “We played so poorly the first time we played Spring Valley, and it was time to challenge our kids. I was excited by the multiple contributions we got by different people at different times.”

Justine Alewine came off the bench to score 15 points, and Kaiden Rice had 14. The 83 points were a season high for Ridge View.

Zaquan Grant and Javondii Myers led Spring Valley (15-7, 5-3) with 14 points. The Vikings played without starting guard Noah Harper, who was serving a school-related suspension.