Since the new year began, the Canyon girls’ basketball team has won four of its past six games, including a 72-16 home win over the Hart Hawks on Friday.
For Canyon head coach Jessica Haayer, the team is clicking on all cylinders, and she said after the game that her team is looking better as the season goes on.
“They moved the ball well. You know, we’ve talked about moving the ball often, and they did that tonight,” she said. “If you look at the last game compared to this game, we were a different team, and it was fun to watch.
In the past six games, the Cowboys (12-10, 5-2) are averaging 66.3 points per game. The win over the Hawks (8-14, 3-4), marked the third time the team scored 70-plus points in 2026.
One of the players leading the Cowboys on offense, sophomore Darby Dunn, just less than two weeks ago crossed the 1,000-career point mark.
Dunn led all Cowboys in scoring in the win over Hart with 32 points and tallied a double-double as she recorded 10 assists.
“Her vision is just getting better and better. I think with when we have other players that have the ability to score, she’s gonna set them up,” Haayer said. “And it’s a constant push for us as we had Emily Hackett and Shannen Wilson play well. So, that all starts with Darby.”
Shannen Wilson joined Dunn as one of two players who recorded a double-double, scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds, six of which were offensive boards.
Haayer added that Wilson is a huge centerpiece for the Cowboys’ game plan not only as the team’s tallest player on offense, but also holding a big presence in the paint on defense.
“Shannen is a guard, but she’s like one of my biggest girls that knows how to play,” Haayer said. “I got to put her in the middle to break down zones, and she just does a great job.”
With the win, the Cowboys improved to 5-2 in Foothill League play and third in the standings as the team swept the season series against the Hawks with a win earlier in the season.
Haayer wants to enjoy the wins one day at a time and work on what the Cowboys can do better before looking toward the end of the season.
“I’m focused on the playoffs, but right now is the next game,” she said “My next game is Saugus and my next big focus on Valencia, so I want to focus on the Foothill League before starting to think about playoffs. Like, I know we’ll be there. It’s just a matter of taking care of league first.”
The Cowboys play again on Tuesday at home against Saugus for round two of the matchup. The Centurions took the win earlier in the season.
For the Hawks, the loss keeps the team in fourth in the league standings, still in a playoff spot as they are tied with the West Ranch Wildcats with a 3-4 record.
The Hawks defeated the Wildcats earlier in the season for the tiebreaker and will look to win their next game at home against Valencia on Tuesday.
Both games tip off at 5 p.m.
After Friday night’s games, here are scores from around the Foothill League:
West Ranch 47, Golden Valley 38: The Wildcats (17-5, 3-4) secured the home victory over the Golden Valley Grizzlies (10-10, 1-6).
The Wildcats are tied for fourth in the Foothill League standings with Hart as the Hawks own the tiebreaker.
The team plays again on Tuesday at 5 p.m. against the Coyotes while the Grizzlies pick up league action on Friday against Castaic.
Saugus 61, Castaic 19: The Centurions (16-7, 6-1) got the home win Friday night over the Coyotes (5-13, 0-7).
The Centurions remain in second place in the league standings and will look to sweep the Canyon Cowboys in the season series on Tuesday at 5 p.m., a team that they defeated earlier in the season.
As for Castaic, the Coyotes hit the road to West Ranch to face the Wildcats with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m.
Photos below from Canyon’s win over Hart:
