Kambrie Graser’s eight 3’s help Canyon Lady Eagles roll by Randall

In a matchup between what should be considered the best team in District 4-4A going up against the team with what should be considered the best player in 4-4A, there were some predictable results Friday afternoon at Joe Lombard Gymnasium.

It wasn’t a huge surprise how those results turned out between Canyon and Randall, however, who produced those results had to open a few eyes.

No. 7 Canyon showed why it’s the team to beat in the district by taking over the game for good in the third quarter and cruising to a 58-40 win over Randall and four-year starter Sadie Sanchez.

But for one game at least, Canyon junior Kambrie Graser made a case for why she should be mentioned in the same breath as Sanchez.

Graser was as unstoppable beyond the 3-point arc as Sanchez often is, canning eight 3s en route to a game-high 30 points. If someone who didn’t know much about the two teams beforehand saw the game and came to the conclusion that Graser, not Sanchez, was the returning district most valuable player, nobody could blame them.

At the end of the day, though, there was absolutely no doubt that the Lady Eagles (15-3, 4-0 in district) are the best team in 4-4A heading into Christmas.

“I thought we played really tough,” Canyon coach Tate Lombard said. “(Randall) came out and defended really well a lot of the game and we had to come out and make some plays. It wasn’t easy to run our offense at times so I was proud of our kids for battling through it. We turned it over to much in the second half but to come out and execute in the second half was a big key for us.”

Canyon never trailed but didn’t quite dominate in the first half either. The Lady Eagles led by as many as 15 points in the first half as Graser hit four 3-pointers, including three in the second quarter.

However, Randall (11-7, 3-1) scored the final six points of the first half and trailed 28-19 at halftime, and it still looked very much like a ball game.

That’s when Graser put her stamp on the game. She scored 10 points in the third quarter as the Lady Eagles began to pull away, taking a 47-32 lead at the end of the quarter.

“It just happened,” Graser said. “We were supposed to play as a team and we did. Coming from last year I had to take that big step and be a leader for the team. I’m prepared for it.”

Along with seniors Jaylee Moss and Sydnee Winfrey, Graser forms the spine of the three leading scorers from last season’s team which reached the state championship game. While Moss has the reputation as the team’s top outside shooter, Graser proved she’s another option for Canyon’s opponents to worry about the rest of the season.

“It’s always by design to give her some chances,” Lombard said. “She’s one who can get going quick and she plays tough. She had a great start and her teammates kept finding her. It was a great job by everybody.”

Randall never was blown out, but the Lady Raiders got no closer than eight in the second half. Sanchez had a typically productive game with 20 points, but nobody else got in double figures for Randall.

The final score was the biggest lead Canyon enjoyed. Moss added 10 points.
Graser led an outside shooting attack which had 12 3-pointers.