Knights Show Valiant Effort in 3 Wins
Phoenix - The week began with their sights set on 3 tough wins, each game posing a different challenge, but the results were brilliant as Saint Mary's won 3 games this week in spectacular fashion.
The Knights began the week in a fight for the helm in the Skyline Region facing an undefeated Greenway team who were 2-0 in region play. The Demons started tough and hit their first three, 3-point shots en route to a 9-7 lead with 2:45 left in the first quarter. But the Knights settled in and ran off some fantastic defense leading to offensive buckets through to halftime outscoring the Demons 49-10 in the next 11 minutes, including a 36-9 blitz in the second quarter. In that span, junior guard Garrison Phelps poured in 13 points and sophomore guard Jason Fontenet added 11 more for the Knights.
The Knights continued their dominance throughout the final horn and came away with sole possession of first place in the Skyline region, defeating the Demons 89-41. Overall, Saint Mary's would finish with 7 players within a bucket of double digits with Phelps totalling 18, sophomore Seydou Tamboura adding his season-high 14, Fontenet with 13, junior Jacob Estrella with 10, freshman Styles Phipps with 9, junior Foune Doucoure and senior Keiren Brown both finished with 9.
The Knights carried this momentum to their next game against the #2 4A team Paradise Honors, which many people felt could be a precursor to the State Championship game in March. The Panthers battled the Knights through the first quarter as each team traded defensive stops and physical play. The Panthers would finish ahead after the first, 12-11, a lead that would quickly evaporate in the second. "I thought we came out a little too hyped up and played maybe a step or two out of rhythm," said Phelps.
The second quarter proved to be pivotal and was led by the play of Phelps, Foune Doucoure and Styles Phipps. Phipps would create havoc on the defensive end and raise the level of pressure for the Knights. His defense generated a couple of turnovers and easy buckets for him and Phelps and the Knights rolled to a 10-point scoring advantage in the second as the Knights went into the half leading 32-23.
The third quarter saw the Knights continue their defensive pressure and toughness as they held the Panthers to 7 points, allowing them to build an 18-point cushion going into the fourth, 48-30. Again it was Phelps on the offensive end scoring 8 points and a full team effort on the defensive end.
Consecutive buckets to start the fourth by Keiren Brown and Jeremiah Cherry gave the Knights their largest lead of the night, 52-30. The Panthers would not go away without a fight and through a barrage of 3 point field goals and drives to the basket, closed the Knights lead to 10 with 2 minutes to go.
Phelps finished with a season high 24 points, Jason Fontenet added 19, and both Brown and Phipps finished with 11. Doucoure would finish the night with 8 points and added 12 rebounds, and junior Jeremiah Cherry began to return to form from an ankle injury, finishing with 5 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.
The third game of the week, the Knights traveled down to Tucson to face the #1 5A team Catalina Foothills, a game that Head Coach Damin Lopez thought would provide a playoff type game for the Knights as they inch closer to the State Tournament. The Knights started quickly out the gate with two buckets from Cherry and one from Fontenet to open up a 6-0 lead.
From there it became a grind. The Knights would battle the Falcons back and forth, going cold in the second and third quarter scoring a season low 14 total points. "There's no doubt their defense did some things to us, but we also uncharacteristically missed shots we normally make and began to rush some things," said Lopez.
The Knights entered the fourth trailing 32-25 and continued to trail by the same margin with 3:45 to go. The Knights remained steadfast in their defensive tenacity holding the Falcons scoreless for the next 3:40, either getting steals by Phipps or Fontenet, or getting big rebounds from Cherry or Doucoure. On the offensive end buckets by Brown, Phelps, Fontenet and a 3-point play from Cherry gritted the Knights through on their closing run. Fontenet hit 2 free throws with 6 seconds left putting the Knights up 48-44. Catalina made an uncontested three point shot at the buzzer for the final tally. "This win was great for us," noted Brown, who finished with 14 points and 5 assists, "this was playoff, big boy basketball and it felt great to come out of here with a win." Fontenet added, "we didn't play our best, give their defense credit, but we can grind too and we proved today when we're not necessarily playing like we normally do, we can beat even the best teams."
The Knights will continue their tough schedule swing this week visiting Arcadia on Tuesday before hosting preseason #2 6A Mountain Pointe on Thursday and ending the week with round 2 versus Greenway on Friday.
Coming Up:
Tuesday, February 23, at Arcadia, 7 p.m., game to be live streamed at: https://youtu.be/0CvC6NYwes8
Thursday, February 25, vs. Mountain Pointe, 7 p.m., game to be live streamed at: https://youtu.be/F0fcBclGHD8
Friday, February 26, vs. Greenway, 7 p.m., game to be live streamed at: https://youtu.be/2N6Vwqf7viw
