For as good as Dimond’s Maile Wilcox was in her 19-point performance Tuesday night, her two highlight plays didn’t pan out.
She was still golden, though, as the reigning Cook Inlet Conference girls basketball player of the year led fifth-ranked Dimond to a 55-29 road win over league leader Bartlett.
The Lynx handed the Golden Bears their first CIC loss and pulled even with them atop the league standings at 8-1.
Wilcox scored 13 points in the first half and then had her team’s first five points of the second half as the Lynx led 35-21.
The 5-foot-6 senior guard didn’t score in the fourth quarter but nearly executed a couple Showtime moves in transition.
On one play she nearly threaded the needle with a 25-foot bounce pass in traffic that was too hot to handle. Moments later she used a behind-the-back dribble to create space around a defender but missed the shot.
Next level moves like that prove why Wilcox is headed to the next level. She signed with Division II Adams State University last November.
She was the best player on the court, anchoring a swarming defense and pouring in 19 points in the opening 19 minutes.
Wilcox converted layups on the break and off cuts, drained a couple midrange jumpers, was on the finishing end of a give-and-go and cashed in on a three-play play that resulted from an offensive rebound.
CIC Girls Basketball
CIC | TEAM | OVERALL |
8-1 | Dimond | 16-5 |
8-1 | Bartlett | 11-7 |
5-3 | Service | 9-9 |
5-3 | West | 7-9 |
4-5 | Chugiak | 9-8 |
3-6 | South | 8-10 |
2-7 | Eagle River | 3-12 |
0-9 | East | 1-12 |
Tuesday’s Girls CIC Scores
#5 Dimond 55, Bartlett 29
Service 80, South 49
West 60, East 46
Eagle River 36, Chugiak 34
Sienna Pederson added 15 points for Dimond, including nine in the third quarter when the Lynx took control for good. Wilcox scored eight points during a 14-0 run as Dimond won the quarter 21-4.
Dimond’s defense made life tough on Bartlett ballhandlers and forced a bunch of turnovers before the Bears could set up their offense.
Bartlett came out a little slow but used an 11-2 run to get back in the game in the second quarter.
Sharpshooter Avaya Stout sank two 3-pointers in each of the first two quarters and finished with 12 points while Mariya Oliver also hit a 3 and added seven points. Oliver added a nice drive in which she split a pair of defenders off the dribble to get inside for a layup.
Maryann Maugaotega got Bartlett as close as 25-21 late in the second quarter. But Wilcox countered with a 3 right before halftime and then hit a jumper and converted an and-1 to kick off the second half.
The Bears never recovered, suffering just their second loss in 11 games with a seven-game winning streak mixed in there.
Dimond 18 10 21 4 – 55
Bartlett 10 11 4 4 – 29
DIMOND – Wilson 19, Pederson 15, Hamey 8, MacDonald 7, Maisey 2, Ridgeway 1, Rodriguez 2, Cassidy 1.
BARTLETT – Ava. Stout 12, Encarnacion 2, Avi.Stout 2, Oliver 7, Meno 2, Jackson 2, Maugaotega 2.
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