GIRLS' BASKETBALL: MEASURE OF REVENGE NO. 1 SAUGUS SHOWS VIKES IT REMAINS TEAM TO BEAT SAUGUS 50, VALENCIA 38.

Byline: Ramona Shelburne Staff Writer

SAUGUS - There would be no surprises this time.

On this night, there were only blocked shots and tough layups as No. 1 Saugus dominated the inside and handed upstart Valencia a 50-38 Foothill League loss in front of a raucous crowd Tuesday night.

Fourth-ranked Valencia (14-3, 1-1) had upset the Centurions this season by shooting 70 percent from the floor at home and outrunning Saugus' contingent of 6-foot-or-taller players.

On Tuesday, however, Saugus (14-4, 2-0) controlled the tempo from the start, outrebounding Valencia 44-28 and shutting down the Vikings' fastbreak offense with a stingy 2-3 zone.

``We actually don't mind playing a slow tempo,'' Valencia coach Jerry Mike said. ``But we shot horribly, and they killed us inside.''

Valencia sophomore Kelley Tarver, who scored 27 points against Saugus in the first game, scored 13 Tuesday, nine at the free-throw line. Tarver was Valencia's best offensive threat, but she missed on nine of her 11 shots.

Valencia led only twice, both times in the first half. But the Vikings trailed only 22-19 at halftime and nearly caught Saugus with a 9-3 run at the start of the fourth quarter that made it 36-34 with 6:25 to go.

Saugus coach Eric Olsson called timeout and called on senior forward Jessi Loring, who had sat out most of the second half with four fouls. Loring quickly made an impact, hitting a wide-open 3-pointer and two tough baskets inside.

``That's the best three minutes of her career,'' Olsson said of Loring, who finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. ``That's how she's capable of playing. The last five minutes of the game was how we're capable of playing.''

Loring scored seven points in just less than three minutes, and by the time Mike called a 30-second timeout with 3:47 remaining, the game was out of reach. Valencia trailed 45-30, and what once was a close game had turned into a romp.

Junior forward Tamaiya Smith missed a 10-foot jumper out of the timeout, but Valencia would get the ball back as junior point guard Daviyonne Weathersby stole a pass from AnnMarie Summerhays of Saugus at midcourt.

But just as it had gone all night, Saugus' size thwarted Valencia's fastbreak as 6-foot Julia Bradley blocked Weathersby's layup.

Saugus added one more Loring layup and two free throws from freshman Taylor Lilley, who finished with nine points and five rebounds.

When the teams previously met this season, the Vikings were unranked in the Daily News poll, a young, unproven team that had gone only 4-6 in league last season but won two games in the Division I-A playoffs, including a 56-40 upset of Pacific Coast League champion University High of Irvine in the second round.

But by the time the teams met again Tuesday night, Valencia had established itself as a legitimate threat to Saugus' senior-laden team.

``They shot 70 percent last time, they deserved to win,'' said Saugus' 6-3 center, Sheridan Arredondo, who finished with a game-high 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks. ``But we still felt we were the better team. Hopefully, this will get in their heads, because we spanked them pretty good tonight.''

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Saugus' Taylor Lilley, left, and the Centurions avenged a previous loss to Valencia, defeating the Vikings 50-38 at Saugus High.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer