Scottsdale Salt River girls basketball coach Shawn Lytle had to be wondering who that was on the floor through much of the first half of Tuesday’s (Jan. 22) game at Fountain Hills.

It certainly couldn’t have been his team. In Lytle’s view, the players wearing his team’s uniforms were not the ones he had been used to seeing, certainly not the ones who had put up a 17-4 record entering this game. They were No. 1 in the Division IV power seedings at the start of the week.

Lytle’s Eagles trailed 20-13 at the end of the first quarter and by 10 halfway through the second period.

“We came out dead. After that first quarter, I told them (players), “If we keep this up, we’re going to give up 80 points,’ ’’ Lytle said. “That’s about 20 more than we score a game. Our defense is what usually gets us going, and this time it wasn’t.’’

But the defense finally awakened and began to force the issue. Fountain Hills, the No. 8 team in Division III, began to turn the ball over and Salt River took advantage.

The Eagles rallied for a 57-52 victory by outscoring Fountain Hills 14-8 in the fourth.

Salt River climbed to 18-4 and Fountain Hills dropped to 16-3.

The key, Lytle said, was that his team switched to a 1-3-1 zone defense.

“It was kind of a gamble because they (Fountain Hills) have good 3-point shooters. But give our girls credit – they did a good job,’’ he said.

Salt River has been balanced on offense most of the season and was again on Tuesday. Lytle said he has four players averaging about 9 points and another four who are in the 6-7-8-point range.

“On any given night, anybody can step up and have a big game,’’ Lytle said.

Briana Kewanwytewa stepped up in this one with 18 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Rachel Cooper had 10 points and Samantha Hardy had 9.

Post player Natalie Stilwell led Fountain Hills with 14 points. Brooke Yost had 12 points and freshman Sierra Jarriel had 10. The Falcons had six 3-pointers.

Fountain Hills led by one entering the fourth quarter and increased that to three on a basket by Stilwell. Salt River came back with three straight baskets, by Joy Manuel, Kishan Cooper and Kewanwytewa, and the Eagles did not trail again.