Make that three-for-three for the Pima College women’s basketball team.
For the third straight week to start the season, an Aztec has received the ACCAC Division II player of the week award, as shooting guard Gabby Banales took home the honor for her efforts last week. Her selection followed those for teammates Sydni Stallworth and Denesia Smith.
“I guess you just take it and say it gives us a good sense of balance,” Pima coach Todd Holthaus said.
Here’s a closer look at Pima’s wild trifecta.
Week 1: Sydni Stallworth
Stallworth, a former stalwart at Palo Verde High School, took the reins of the team this season as point guard and shot out of the gate. Before the season, Holthaus expressed plenty of confidence that his newcomer would be among the best in the league, but even he couldn’t have expected such an immediate impact.
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Stallworth had 40 points in the team’s season-opening three-game set at the Arizona Western Classic in Yuma, helping the Aztecs to a 2-1 record. Even more impressively, she added 16 rebounds, 14 assists and six steals.
“Syd is the general in a lot of ways,” Holthaus said.
“Star at Palo Verde, lots of records — but she gives us a general’s mentality, making sure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.
“There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that.”
And great reward, it seems.
Week 2: Denesia Smith
Like Stallworth, Holthaus expected a quick contribution from Smith as a freshman. Unlike Stallworth, there was a bit of delayed gratification, as Smith spent last season recovering from a knee injury.
But in her first week back for the Aztecs, she won conference player of the week honors after scoring 33 points and snagging eight rebounds to go along with eight steals in a 2-0 week. Smith had 16 points in a 77-70 win over Chandler-Gilbert and 17 points against Phoenix.
“She is our most eye-popping athlete, just great energy,” Holthaus said. “I’d say the Energizer Bunny, but the Energizer Bunny doesn’t move very fast, and Denesia is a lightning bolt. She hadn’t played in a year and a half, working on her knee, but she’s probably our most dynamic in terms of what she can do athletically.”
Week 3: Gabby Banales
While all three award-winners have made an imprint on their coach, Holthaus has a special place in his heart for Banales.
“I’m proud of all three obviously, but Gabby is probably the one who gets overlooked a lot,” he said. “She’s kind of like the rock, and we scratched and clawed our way to No. 1 seed last year, and a lot of it was her. It was a sense of calm. I was very satisfied for her this week.”
Banales averaged 12.5 points and five rebounds in a loss to New Mexico JC and a win over Williston State College, both Division I squads, in the Eastern Arizona Thanksgiving Classic.
“She fills each stat column a little bit here and there,” Holthaus said. “She’s probably one of my smartest, and she’s always in the right spot.
“For me, more than anything, when you have players you can trust, you don’t worry so much. Gabby is that person for me, and for the team as well.”
