Lady Nighthawks Fall to Foothill Knights 54-39

Something happened during the halftime break in Santa Ana Tuesday night.

The Lady Nighthawks had taken a commanding 28-17 lead into the locker room. They had out hustled and outplayed the Foothill Lady Knights. Momentum was theirs. The roar of loyal MVHS supporters overwhelmed and drowned out the home team cheers. They were about to upset Foothill for the second straight year.  

Whatever happened in the Knights’ locker room wasn’t good for the Nighthawks. Foothill adjusted to Murrieta Valley's aggressive style of play and took control of the game in the second half. The Nighthawks were outscored 16-6 in the third quarter to loose the lead for the first time since the first quarter.

They never recovered. The Knights, led by senior Molly Greubel scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and held the Nighthawks to five. Coach Vince Namba capitalized on their height and size advantage to take control of the boards and the game, winning 54-39.

Coach Scott Richards led the Nighthawks to a successful 24-6 record praised his players for their season. Karen Wolf had an exceptional game, leading Murrieta Valley with 16 points. Brenda Bilton scored six while Ariana Hernandez added five. Both Anna Badillo and Deshea Wilkes scored four each. Corrie Henry and Katie Clark each had two points.

—Contributed by Charles Mckee