By Don Ketchum

Pass the ball. Cut. Get open. The ball will come back to you. Sooner or later, there will be an open shot.

It is a fundamental approach, something that the girls’ basketball team from Phoenix Arizona Lutheran works on every day.

The Coyotes stuck to the plan on Tuesday night (Dec. 13), pulling away to a 55-31 victory over host Phoenix Valley Lutheran.

“We’ve been working on it (continuing to pass the ball around the perimeter). We have a lot of girls who can score,’’ said Arizona Lutheran coach Jeremiah Strassburg, whose team entered the week at No. 2 in Division IV power points and improved its record to 8-3.

Considering the team is very young (just two seniors), it is coming along about where Strassburg envisioned by this time of the season.

The team will continue to be tested in the near future when it plays against some bigger schools at a holiday tournament hosted by Chandler Valley Christian.

The ball seems to move the best when 5-foot-3 junior guard Janie Unkefer is directing traffic.

She zips the ball around and isn’t afraid to put it up – she had three 3-pointers against Valley Lutheran.

“She plays hard, with a lot of heart,’’ Strassburg said. “The girls seem to be following her.’’

Arizona Lutheran had five 3-pointers for the game. Karolyn Lamberson scored 12 points, and Kenniesha Simpson had 11. Nine players scored for the team.

The Coyotes closed out the first and second quarter with big finishes to take control of the game. Unkefer hit two from long range in the first quarter. Arizona Lutheran went on a 7-0 run just before halftime.

Kennedy Brunkhorst was all over the floor for Valley Lutheran (4-7) with 12 points.