Skyline Gila River Basketball Coach Earns 100th Victory

January 30, 2026

Jeston Morris

Community Newsperson

CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Skyline Gila River Lady Mustangs dominated the Arizona Cultural Academy Lady Wolves at the Skyline Gila River gymnasium on Jan. 20, a win that marked a major milestone for the program. The victory was the 100th in six years for head coach Daveda Taylor.

Fans from both schools packed the gym for the matchup, and Mustangs supporters celebrated the achievement with a post-game cake. The Lady Mustangs won the opening tipoff and never looked back, controlling the pace from the start. They headed into halftime with a 31-18 lead after Taylor emphasized the need for better communication during her locker room talk. The Mustangs pulled away in the second half for a 65-24 finish.

Reflecting on the milestone, Taylor credited her athletes for the program's rise.

"It’s a surreal victory," Taylor said. "Without these girls’ dedication and hard work throughout these last six years, I wouldn’t be here at the 100th win. It’s not necessarily me; it’s more of the girls who were really dedicated to this basketball program."

Taylor said seeing the success of her alumni was the highlight of the night.

"I’m just proud to see how well they’re doing in life," she said. "The best part of it is just the success of my players."

Assistant coach Darius Turner called Taylor one of the best coaches he has worked with, describing her as a dedicated mentor to the young women on the team.

"She worked hard for it and she definitely earned this victory tonight," Turner said. Players echoed the sentiment, noting that while the game started slowly, their chemistry improved as the clock ran down.

"We actually communicated during the game," said center Monica Benally. "We were able to secure the 100th victory at the end."

Point guard Jazmyne Mendivil added that the team was determined to get the result for their coach. "We started off slow, but then we worked our way up. We finally got our 100th win for coach," she said.

Lucy Rivers, also a point guard, noted the shift in momentum during the first half. "Our energy level accelerated in the second quarter," Rivers said. "We really played well and communicated as a team."