Arizona girls' high school basketball players of the week: Jan. 12, 2024
The first full week of 2024 was a fun one in Arizona girls’ high school basketball, with many of the state’s top teams facing off. Here are the top performers from those games and more:
Kara Baptisto, Sells Baboquivari
Baboquivari is on its first four-game win-streak of the season, a stretch for which it has Baptisto to thank. She’s led the Warriors in scoring in all four wins. She scored 33 in a win over San Simon on Tuesday, then followed it up with 30 in a win over Queen Creek San Tan Foothills on Wednesday.
Grace Beckler, Chandler Basha
After Basha lost junior Rylie Sword to an ACL injury, Beckler stepped up, even as the Bears lost to Mesa Westwood, 63-60. Beckler recorded her ninth double-double of the year in that defeat, scoring 21 points and grabbing 19 rebounds.
Audrey Bhesania, Phoenix Sandra Day O’Connor
Bhesania was the star of the show as O’Connor beat Surprise Shadow Ridge, with 24 points and 10 assists in the game. She also had 17 and 9 against Glendale Mountain Ridge and 18 and 8 against Yuma Cibola.
Meisha Caserio, Gilbert
Gilbert fell just short of an impressive upset over Phoenix Xavier Prep on Tuesday, storming back from behind to grab a fourth quarter lead before losing, 59-55. Caserio had just one point in the first half but came alive in the second to finish with 16 and nearly lead Gilbert to the win.
Eanae Dagons, Phoenix Desert Vista
It seems like Desert Vista has a different player in this section each week, such is its offensive balance. This week, Dagons was the star, scoring 19 points on 7 for 7 shooting as the Thunder rolled past Surprise Valley Vista, 64-43.
Thalia Daniels, Sandra Day O’Connor
Daniels was the best player for O’Connor in Thursday’s loss to Xavier Prep. She led the Eagles with 15 in the defeat, adding to a week that already featured a 20-point performance against Mountain Ridge and a 16-point performance against Cibola.
Mia DiPuccio, Chandler Seton Catholic
Seton Catholic put itself back on the map in 4A this week after a slightly disappointing start to the season. The Sentinels pulled off a 35-34 win over Gilbert Mesquite (16-3) thanks to a last-second basket from DiPuccio.
Noelle Guiamatsia, Xavier Prep
Xavier Prep might not have pulled out its win over Gilbert without the sophomore Guiamatsia. She was a force inside all night finishing with a season-high 20 while also snagging five rebounds and swatting away a pair of blocked shots.
Grace Hall, Phoenix Thunderbird
Hall was the standout for Thunderbird in each of its two wins to start section play. She had 20 points and eight rebounds against Phoenix Shadow Mountain, then followed that up with 17 points and seven rebounds against Surprise Paradise Honors.
Callie Hinder, Chandler Hamilton
Much of Hamilton’s success this year comes from its ability to have anyone stand out on a given night. Case in point: Hinder hadn’t scored more than 14 points all season before Tuesday’s showdown with Phoenix Sunnyslope. But in that game, she led the way with 26 points on 11 of 14 shooting to spur a 65-46 win.
Grace Howell, Arete Prep
Howell crossed the 1,000-point mark for her career this week, even in a disappointing two-loss week for Arete Prep. She’s a weapon from deep and is among the 2A leaders in 3-pointers made.
Sarah Miller, Xavier Prep
Like Guiamatsia, Miller shone in Xavier Prep’s win over Gilbert, tying for a game-high with 20 points in the contest. She followed that up with 14 in the win over O’Connor to complete an impressive week for the state’s top team.
Olivia Owens, Phoenix Country Day School
Owens’ stat line from PCDS’ win over Glendale Prep on Saturday was something to behold. She had 32 points, 13 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists in the win as the 2A Eagles continue to show they’re one of the best teams in the state — at any level.
Ava Schooler, Sandra Day O’Connor
The freshman Schooler was another standout this week for O’Connor. Her best performance came in the win over Mountain Ridge, in which she scored 24 points on 12 of 16 shooting. She’s scored in double figures in five straight games.
Jordan Watts, Tucson Salpointe Catholic
Salpointe Catholic faced a tricky test on Thursday against Tucson Pueblo, but the Lancers’ explosive offense paved the way to an 83-61 win. Watts was the leader of that unit in the game, scoring 24 points. Taliyah Henderson also shone for Salpointe Catholic in her third game back from injury, with 18 points and 18 rebounds.
Lamaiya Woodberry, Tempe McClintock
Woodberry continued her dominant season in McClintock’s two wins this week. She scored 21 against Phoenix Sierra Linda on Tuesday and 26 against Phoenix North Canyon on Thursday. She’s now hit the 20-point mark in eight of 12 games.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona girls' high school basketball players of week: Jan. 12, 2024
