Campo Verde girls basketball got their 2022-2023 season underway Thursday and didn't disappoint their home crowd.

The Coyotes waited until the fourth quarter to turn on the jets, rallying past Desert Ridge for a 33-25 triumph. Campo Verde outscored Desert Ridge 13-1 in the final stanza. Campo Verde led for brief junctures in the first and third quarters, but played its best ball when it counted.

Senior leadership was at the forefront for Campo Verde with forward Allison Saunders (13 points) and guard Kinzey Hutchings (10 points) combining for 10 of the team's 12 points in the quarter. They helped erase Desert Ridge's 24-21 advantage heading to the final eight minutes. 

Hutchings tallied on two driving layups and Saunders added a bucket for a 6-0 run the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter. That run put Campo ahead for good (26-24). 

Campo Verde posted a 7-0 run over a 90-second stretch after Desert Ridge (2-3 overall, 0-1 power-ranking games) pulled within 26-25 on a free throw by Saige Miller -- the Jags only point of the quarter. Miller led Desert Ridge with 10 points.

It didn't seem the 7-0 run was a death knell for Desert Ridge with 3:10 still to play. However, neither team scored in the final 3:10 as they traded multiple turnovers each to the finish.

Desert Ridge is idle until Tuesday when it visits Mesa High. The Jaguars play their first home game on Dec. 8 vs. Sunnyslope. Campo Verde's next game is at home on Monday vs. McClintock.