Salpointe improved to 2-0 on the year after taking care of Marana 66-23 at home Thursday night. Senior wing Jaya Nelson led the way with a game-high 15 points despite limited playing time due to substitutions and a running clock in the lopsided victory.

Nelson committed to Alderson Broaddus in the offseason and she is nearing 1,000 career points for the Lancers as the program’s top scorer over the last three years. Nelson is sitting at 873 points and she should reach that milestone in mid-February if the season continues.

Nelson scored the first nine points of the game and Salpointe led 21-5 after the first quarter and 42-12 at the half. Emma Rozelle scored the first eight points for the Tigers and she finished with a team-high 10. Salpointe led 62-18 after the third quarter.

Joseph Luevano is in his first year with Salpointe after serving as an assist coach to Justin Curran over the last three seasons. Curran coached the Lancers to a 92-60 record in his six years with the program including three straight playoff appearances to close out his tenure, with three top ten rankings and a No. 6 nod in 2018-2019.

Marana is now 1-1 on the year under head coach Tory Perez. The Tigers are coming off a run of top-ten finishes but the program has been hit hard by graduation recently with Anabella Muscoreil playing for Dixie State, Antoinette Audiss playing for Embry-Riddle, Baylee Slaughter playing for Arizona Christian and Alyssa Perez is now a manager for UNLV after playing for Pima. Still, with players such as Raquel Diaz and Jayda Pina on his current roster, expect the Tigers to come together as a team

Diaz and Pina did not play in the game at Salpointe and Salpointe will be playing without the services of senior Brianna Arizmendi this year. Arizmendi is recovering from an injury and, according to Luevano, she is contributing in other ways and is helping the Lancers develop during practice.

For Marana, Rozelle scored her 10 points, Gabriella Salazar scored 6 and Jennifer Smith added 4. Nelson scored her 15 for the Lancers, Madeline Namanny and Kimmy McDaniels scored 9 each and Bria Medina and Kylee Callahan scored 8 each.

Salpointe travels to Sabino (1-0) Friday night and Marana visits Amphitheater next Tuesday, Feb. 2.

Emma Rozelle drives on Ilena Gonzales (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)