Knights Show Strong 2nd Half Effort to Advance to Final Four

Phoenix - Jeremiah Cherry scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds and Saint Mary's rode a strong defensive effort in the second half to dethrone Bradshaw Mountain 73-45. The win pushes the Knights into the Arizona State Tournament Final Four for the second straight year where they will face the 4th-seeded Coconino Panthers. "We made some defensive adjustments at half, we came out and got a few stops in a row and then converted those stops to points on the offensive end," stated Keiren Brown. Brown drew the defensive assignment of Bradshaw Mountain's Carter John who in the first half scored 17 points to keep the score close at half. The Knights led 31-28 at the break but as in the first round didn't show any fluster or panic. Brown clamped up on John in the second and received the help necessary by his teammates limiting John to two points on one basket in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Brown scored 8 points and dished out 5 assists in the second half as the Knights outscored the Bears 42-17. Freshman Styles Phipps added 8 points in the second half as well and often times teamed up with Brown on jumps and traps that resulted in errant passes or steals for the Knights. "I try to create havoc on the defensive end and hopefully it'll generate some offensive chances for us," said Phipps. The energy and hand quickness of the crafty freshman created multiple break opportunities for the Knights. That effort allowed the Knights to open the floor up for more fast break opportunities and tested the resolve and endurance of the Bears.

The first half saw Cherry convert on some wonderful inside moves and jump hooks. Cherry and fellow junior Jacob Estrella provided a punch for the Knights on the offensive end. Cherry finished the half with 10 points and Estrella added 7 points. The Knights also controlled the boards as junior Foune Doucoure and Estrella each had 5 rebounds for the Knights. "Their big is physical and has good footwork in the post, so it was up to Bear, Seydou and myself to neutralize him and keep him from major production," said Doucoure.

In all the Knights had 5 people in double figures led by Cherry, Phipps finished with 13, Estrella 12, Brown and sophomore Jason Fontenet finished with 10 points each. Overall on the season the Knights have 6 guys who averaged double figures and that balance continues to make it difficult for any opposing team to focus on one area. "We preach versatility in our program meaning to play this game you have to be able to dribble, pass and shoot," said Fontenet, "we feel like that versatility and balance are the keys to us hopefully hoisting the tourney trophy at the end."

The Knights continue their run in the Final Four on Thursday at Saint Mary's, "we're excited to be playing in front of our home crowd this year," said Brown, "this is what we worked hard for all year so we could keep home court throughout the playoffs and now we just have to take advantage of it."

Next Up:

The Knights will face a tough Coconino team that currently boast a 17-1 record. The game is Thursday, March 18, and will be live streamed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/UjHqb7WunOg