Led by a size advantage and exceptional bench scoring, Apple Valley women’s basketball defeated Burnsville Friday night 70-39, their 5th win in a row.

The Eagles started slowly, winning the glass on both sides of the court, but couldn’t go on any runs early.  With 3:11 left in the half, however, Apple Valley went on an 11-2 run to increase their lead to 32-14.  Burnsville fought back, scoring eight unanswered points to end the half 32-22.

Apple Valley came out of the half swinging with a 14-1 run, solidifying their lead to 41-23.  “The girls came out with a lot more fire,” head coach Jeremy Gordon said.  The Eagles didn’t let up on the gas, bringing the final score to 70-39.

Burnsville’s roster only lists two players over 6’0” and one player at 5’11″, a stark contrast to Apple Valley’s four players over 6’0” and four players at 5’11”.

“Their two big girls are good, I just thought we played a great team game,” Gordon said.

Senior captain Taylor Wangerin added, “We were able to feed the post and see open players.”

The Eagles were also strong off the bench, putting up a combined 29 points.  Sophomore Brynne Rolland racked up a team high 20 points after coming off of the bench.  “We had people off the bench that did big things today,” Wangerin added.

Apple Valley’s next game is Tuesday, January 12th at 7:00 at Lakeville North High School.