TUCSON, AZ -- Saturday, May 31st was a hot day in Tucson, with the temperature over one hundred. To the residents of Tucson it was just another day. But for the fans of Roller Derby who had come from California, Nevada, New Mexico and across Arizona to meet at 7pm at Tucson's BladeWorld, it was only just starting to warm up. California's hottest team, the Bay Area Derby Girls (#10), had come to town to take on the country's sixth ranked team, Tucson Roller Derby's Saddletramps.

The increasingly impressive Bay Area only got hotter in Bladeworld, as they completely controlled one of roller derby's most storied teams -- BAD's 96-39 win was not only Tucson's biggest loss ever, but also their lowest point total ever in a regulation-length bout.

PDF: Unofficial jam-by-jam scoresheet from the Arizona Derby Report

The bout kicked off with both teams sending their strongest five to the track. For the Bay Area it was Sassy Slayher, Pia Mess, Liza Machete and Taxi Scab with Kitt Turbo jamming. For the home team, Deadlock Doe, Carrie Guns, Tumbleweed and Sami Automatic formed the Tucson pack with Sloppy Flo wearing the jammer star. Kitt Turbo exploded off the jammer line, getting a stroke lead over Sloppy Flo. It'd be BAD's Pia Mess clearing a lane for Turbo to take lead jammer, and Sassy Slay-Her helped to delay Flo's exit long enough for Turbo to secure a 3-0 leadoff victory in a lightning-fast 42 second jam.

The jam set the pattern of the game, as Bay Area's quicker jammers and defensive blocking strategy kept Tucson off balance all night. Tucson would only get on the board in one of the first eight jams, and by the start of jam 9 Bay Area was enjoying a 25-4 lead. There were no great swings, no dramatic comebacks -- just a steadily growing Bay Area lead from beginning to end By halftime, Bay Area was sitting on a 61-23 advantage.

There was a slight ebb and flow to Bay Area's control of the scoreboard, but the winner of the game was never in serious doubt. While Tucson held the visitors to fewer points in the second half, they also had a harder time scoring -- they'd only get on the board in three of the second half's 17 jams. The second half went 35-16 for Bay Area for a final score of Bay Area 96, Tucson 39.

Of the 36 jams in the game the Bay Area won 20, tied 10 and lost 6. The Bay Area held Tucson scoreless in 26 jams.

It was not as though Tucson did not have their chances -- in fact the Bay Area gave Tucson lots of chances in the form of blocker advantages. The penalty count nearly mirrored the final score, as Bay Area picked up 95 penalties to 41 for Tucson. The Bay Area had skaters in the penalty box in 33 of the 36 jams, leaving Tucson with a blocker advantage of one or two blockers in 24 of the game's jams, but Tucson seemed not to know what to do when they had the numbers. In those 24 jams, the Bay Area outscored Tucson 71-31. In the 8 jams with even number of blockers, the Bay Area won 15-8. And in the 4 jams in which the Bay Area held the blocker advantage, it was Bay Area 10-0. The Bay Area blockers, when down skaters, skated with a plan and purpose.

The game was not without dangers to the skaters as well. In the second lap of the second jam Sassy Slayher got tangled up with Tucson's jammer, Two-Bit Ore, and was sent head first into the floor. The jam was quickly called, but fortunately Sassy was able to get up and take her three jam break on the bench. At the end of the thirteen jam, Bay Area's Taxi Scab would see Tucson's EMT for a bloody nose.

Pre-game, longtime Tucson star Sloppy Flo was given a trophy for scoring over thousand points in her career as a Saddletramp, but Bay Area shut her down in this bout: Flo had only 5 points in the first half and was shutout in the second half. The Bay Area's rookie phenom jammer, Grr Lee Burly, equalled Tucson's score by scoring 39 points and was the game's highest scorer. Tumbleweed led Tucson's scoring with 18 points.

Bay Area next takes aim at the highest levels of WFTDA play, heading up to Seattle to do battle with #2 Rat City on June 21st. Pikes Peak comes to Tucson to take on the Saddletramps on June 28th.

Photos: Laurel Wilson