Knights put end to 19-game streak, advance to quarters
The maturity of St. Mary’s basketball team was evident after trailing 23-9 after a quarter Friday night on its home court.
Forcing turnover after turnover, and causing Glendale Ironwood to take uncomfortable shots, the script flipped and the Knights rolled into the 32-team Open Division boys basketball state quarterfinals with a 6647 rout.
Senior guard Noah Gifft had eight points in the opening quarter as Ironwood quickly built a 10-0 lead.
But the Knights adjusted and senior point guard Styles Phipps steered his team to what eventually became an easy victory with his great playmaking and clutch shooting.
“We turned it up and that’s what good teams do,” said Phipps, who has signed to play college basketball at Grand Canyon. “Everybody wants to come in here and show who they are. But at the end of the day, this is our gym.”
St. Mary’s rarely loses at home, and had a packed crowd, especially beyond one end of the basket, where the student section, all in gold, was standing and screaming from the opening tip.
Finding Phipps’ teammates
Phipps didn’t have to go off scoring. He had 20 points, but he was a great facilitator, finding 6-7 forward Caspian Jones and 6-9 sophomore Cameron Williams for open baskets. When he was getting corralled as he penetrated and there was nothing inside, Phipps was able to find guard Kenny White, who nailed a 3 during the Knights’ 25-9 third quarter that saw them go from a one-point deficit to a 15-point lead.
“We just had to settle in,” coach Damin Lopez said. “Once we got down a little bit, we started forcing things. We were able to reign it in a little bit. We just kept telling them, ‘One stop at a time.’ ”
St. Mary’s had a string of stops to start the second quarter, which began with Gifft missing a 3.
Ironwood turned the ball over on six consecutive possessions that the Knights turned into points. Phipps’ drive with 1:26 left in the second quarter gave St. Mary’s its first lead at 26-24.
Ironwood led 30-29 at the break after a Gifft 3 and two free throws by point guard I’yar Shadowvine.
Shadowvine spent most of the second half on the floor near the Ironwood bench, being treated by an athletic trainer for cramps in his legs.
“The kid’s a warrior,” Ironwood coach Jordan Augustine said.
Looking ahead for St. Mary’s
Meanwhile, St. Mary’s, led by Phipps, took off. No. 7 St. Mary’s (23-6), which has won 16 games in a row, gets a rematch with Scottsdale Notre Dame next Friday in the state quarterfinals at No. 2-seed Notre Dame. St. Mary’s lost its season opener to NDP 81-76 in a Nov. 18 classic. Notre Dame crushed Gilbert Highland 79-42 in Friday’s second-round of the Open.
“This Open is as deep as it’s ever been,” Lopez said. “We’re so grateful just to be a part of it.”
Lopez likes how his team has grown around Phipps in the last year or so. Williams has shown steady progression in his first year with St. Mary’s as not only a rim protector but a big offensive threat not just around the basketball but from mid-range. He even hit a 3-pointer in a first-round rout of Mesa.
“Cam’s the real deal,” Lopez said.
Jones’ rebounding tenacity and doing the little things to help win games also has aided the Knights the second half of the season.
Ironwood (24-3), which had a 19-game winning streak end, falls into the 16-team 5A state tournament next week.
No. 6 Millennium rolls on
Paced once again by 6-7 junior Kingston Tosi’s 27 points, host and No. 6 seed Goodyear Millennium pounded past American Leadership Gilbert North 82-49 to advance to next Friday’s quarterfinal at No. 3 Phoenix Sunnyslope, which rolled Tucson 54-38.
This is a rematch of a Nov. 30 meeting in which Millennium rallied late to beat Sunnyslope in overtime, behind the brilliant play of guard Sabien Cain.
Braeden Speed fuels Brophy Prep rout
Senior guard Braeden Speed had 33 points to lead host No. 9 Phoenix Brophy Prep to an 83-70 win over Phoenix Desert Vista, advancing the Broncos to the quarterfinals at defending state champion and No. 1seed Gilbert Perry, which pulled away from No. 16 Glendale Deer Valley for an 81-48 win.
Koa Peat, a 6-8 junior, led Perry with 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. D’Andre Harrison had 23 points and nine rebounds. And guard Barron Silsby added 12 points.
Desert Mountain, Basha quarterfinal set
No. 4 Chandler Basha defeated No. 13 Gilbert Mesquite 84-51 and No. 5 Scottsdale Desert Mountain held off No. 21 Waddell Canyon View 67-57, setting up a quarterfinal matchup next Friday at Basha.