By Don Ketchum

Oooh, that’s going to leave a mark.

That’s probably what many in the crowd were thinking when Phoenix Xavier Prep’s Annie Dolan left the team’s basketball game in the second half on Friday night (Jan. 6) with blood streaming down the side of her face after contact with a Gilbert Mesquite player.

But the injury was just another in a line of similar mishaps. Two of Dolan’s teammates entered the game with black eyes, one sustained in a game, the other in practice.

To first-year coach Chantel Vinson, it is a welcome sight.

“It just shows we are playing more physical,’’ she said. “In the past, Xavier had a reputation for playing soft.’’

Vinson’s Gators left their mark on Mesquite with a 61-48 victory. Xavier improved to 11-4, while Mesquite dropped to 8-10.

“We have to be aggressive, box out underneath the basket and play tough defense,’’ said Vinson, who came to Xavier from San Tan Foothills High in the southeast Valley.

Xavier certainly will need that hard-nosed style of play on Wednesday (Jan. 11), when it plays host to Catholic rival Phoenix St. Mary’s, which won the Class 5A Division I championship last season.

From the opening tip, Xavier was the aggressor, forcing numerous turnovers in the first quarter that led to a 23-4 advantage entering the second.

Mesquite did what it could to get back into the contest, not giving up while playing as aggressively as it could. The Wildcats cut the deficit to 12 points early in the fourth quarter, but could get no closer.

Xavier had three players score in double figures – Katie Werner (18 points), Ashley Orozco (13) and Dolan (12).

Cecily Wilson scored 20 to lead Mesquite, and the sophomore should become even more of a factor the rest of this season and over the next two years. Ally Exline scored 15 and Ashley Alexander 11.

Coach Candice Gonzales’ Mesquite roster is made up of many underclassmen, and they should continue to improve.