28 Jan Pinole Valley Girls Dominate Bethel High, Extend Streaks and Records
Pinole Valley Spartans starters cheer from the sidelines as a lopsided lead let some of their teammates get more playing time than usual.
Story and photos by Joe Porrello
Pinole Valley High girls varsity basketball cruised to a 73-26 victory over Jesse Bethel High (Vallejo) on Wednesday night, keeping multiple streaks intact while setting some new benchmarks.
The Spartans’ win extends their undefeated streak at home and against Tri-County-Rock League opponents. The 47-point victory marks their largest margin of the season, and the 73-point total is their highest in over a year.
“We’ve been on the road for a while, so getting back home, we wanted to make sure we gave people something to cheer for,” said 10th-year head coach Brian Gaither.
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- The Spartans celebrate with Pinole Valley High’s band and cheerleaders following a blowout victory.
With four straight wins and seven of their last eight, the Spartans have been on a tear. In contrast, Bethel High has lost four in a row by an average of 38 points, and seven of their last eight games overall.
Pinole Valley’s balanced offense and relentless defense kept the pressure on throughout. Four players scored in double figures, while Bethel High never had a player reach double digits. As the game wore on, the Spartans’ lead only grew.
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- Spartans sophomore guard Harley Maxwell breaks her way out of four Bethel High defenders.
Gaither praised his team’s competitive edge. “I’m happy we showed some killer instinct and played up to our level,” he said. “We competed with more joy and flair — it all started with our defense.”
Senior guard Khaya Jackson set the tone early, hitting her first two three-pointers to give the Spartans an early six-point cushion. Jackson finished with a game-high 15 points and helped force numerous turnovers with her defense.
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- Spartans senior guard and game high scorer Khaya Jackson made sure she kept a hold of momentum on the defensive side of the ball as well.
Bethel High was stifled from the start, managing just three points in the opening quarter. They made a bit of a run in the second, but the Spartans quickly shut it down. Pinole Valley scored on eight straight possessions to open the second frame, resulting in a 26-point quarter — matching Bethel’s total for the game — and a commanding 25-point lead at halftime.
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- Spartans 6-foot senior forward Jazelle Bolton takes a mid-range jump shot over a Bethel High defender.
Though the Spartans hit seven three-pointers in the game, their biggest surge came from within the arc. Sophomore center Henriana Hudson was a key contributor, not only scoring 14 points but also dominating on defense with multiple blocks and rebounds — sometimes on the same possession.
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- Handing Spartans 6-foot-5 sophomore center Henriana Hudson was a tall order for the Jaguars.
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- Spartans 6-foot-5 sophomore center Henriana Hudson presented a big defensive hill to climb for Bethel High.
Hudson’s impact was complemented by freshman guard Dannyae Turner, who scored all 12 of her points in the first half. “Turner is a dynamic player — she’s going to do big things,” Gaither added.
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- Spartans freshman guard Dannyae Turner made her presence felt on defense while also collecting 12 points.
Coming out of the break, the Spartans rattled off 14 unanswered points before Bethel High scored its first free throw five minutes into the third quarter. The Jaguars, who went 5-of-8 from the free-throw line for the game, managed only two points in the third quarter, falling into a 39-point hole.
Despite the lopsided score, Pinole Valley’s bench players got into the action, receiving some of the loudest cheers of the night. Senior guard Layla Butler, who scored seven of her 11 points in the fourth quarter, praised her team’s second-half effort.
“I think we stepped it up even more in the second half,” Butler said. “Our ball movement was excellent.”
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- Spartans senior guard Layla Butler rises up in the paint and scores two of her 11 points.
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- Spartans senior guard Layla Butler defends Bethel High sophomore guard D’ani Butcher, who led her team with nine points.
Butler, who also played spirited defense throughout, expressed pride in being a leader for the younger players. “I try to lead by example and pass down my character to the underclassmen.”
The victory marks the Spartans’ fourth consecutive win over Bethel High, and they’ve never had a losing league record during Butler and her five senior teammates’ tenure. Pinole Valley’s last loss to the Jaguars came in 2018, and they now hold a 6-3 record against Bethel since 2010.
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- Spartans senior guard Khaya Jackson looks to create some half-court offense on her way to a game-high 15 points.
For Bethel, the loss drops their league record to 1-5, matching their total Tri-County-Rock League defeats from the previous two seasons. The Jaguars next traveled to St. Mary’s High on Tuesday.
After defeating winless Richmond High on the road Friday and falling to No. 19-ranked San Ramon Valley High on Saturday, the Spartans are now 13-7 overall. They remain on track for another winning season, bouncing back from last year’s sub-.500 finish — their first in five years.
Tuesday, they were facing Salesian Prep.
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