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Volcano Vista guard Jaelyn Bates goes up for a shot Wednesday night against Highland, with Deniece Ryan (right) defending for the Hornets. Bates finished with 23 points in the win. (Jim Thompson/Journal)
The Volcano Vista girls basketball team, missing one of its best players for a long stretch, found itself locked in a competitive game in the first half Wednesday night at Highland.
The Hawks at full strength in the second half looked like the state championship contender they are.
Class 5A’s second-ranked team overwhelmed the Hornets after halftime in a rare (for this short season) non-district matchup, and Volcano Vista’s 71-52 victory over Class 4A’s No. 1-ranked team wasn’t even as close as that.