Phoenix St. Mary’s was the matchup nobody wanted in the early rounds of the Class 5A-I boys state basketball tournament. Top-ranked and top-seeded Mesa drew the short straw in the quarterfinals, and the Jackrabbits came out on the short end of the result.
Forward Chris Mason scored 26 points and No. 9 seed St. Mary’s overcame a 10-point first-half deficit to post a 65-62 victory, moving the Knights within one win of their fourth straight title game. Jahii Carson led Mesa with 23 points, but the Jackrabbits were playing without starting guard Mohamad Sobh (ankle) and every little bit counted against the athletic Knights.
2. Hawkins for 3: It wasn’t the individual performance Corey Hawkins was hoping for in his final prep game, but the end result soothed any wounds. Hawkins, who averaged 37 points during the season and set state career and season scoring records, finished with a season-low 12 points, making only three field goals and one 3-pointer. But Hawkins’ younger brother, Devon, scored 24 points (six 3-pointers), as did senior guard Troy Coleman, to help Goodyear Estrella Foothills capture its third straight Class 3A boys basketball title with a 77-57 win over Eagar Round Valley. The raucous crowd booed Foothills during the net-cutting ceremonies, the product of a hard Foothills foul with less than a second to play.
3. Metro rebirth: Wednesday’s Class 5A-I boys title game will be a matchup of two metro teams, marking the first time since 1991 that two Phoenix Union High School District schools have played for the title. The contenders are Cesar Chavez with bug-quick point guard Brandon Brown, and North, led by University of Arizona commit Daniel Bejarano. North beat Phoenix St. Mary’s in Tuesday’s semifinals while Chavez knocked off No. 2 seed Mesa Mountain View.
4. Katie Barr the door: The Phoenix St. Mary’s girls basketball team is comprised largely of freshmen and sophomores. Good thing senior guard Katie Barr was there to ease the young ones’ nerves. Barr’s steadying influence helped freshman guard Danielle Williams score 11 points and Aliyan Dickson 10 as St. Mary's beat Gilbert 60-52 to advance to the Class 5A-I title game for the second straight year. St. Mary’s will face Mesa Dobson on Wednesday for the title.
5. More champs crowned: The other basketball state champions crowned this week were as follows: Class 4A-I boys, Tempe McClintock (on Terrin Elam’s put-back with 4.2 seconds left); 4A-II boys, Tucson Santa Rita; 2A boys, Scottsdale Christian; 4A-I girls, Phoenix Shadow Mountain; 4A-II girls, Chandler Seton Catholic; 3A girls, Winslow; 2A girls, Chandler Valley Christian.
The Fab 5
1. Cameron Forte, Tempe McClintock, Jr. G/F: 39 points in the Chargers’ thrilling, 4A-I state championship game victory over Phoenix Sunnyslope.
2. Royce Woolridge, Phoenix Sunnyslope, Sr., G: 34 points in 4A-I title game loss to Tempe McClintock.
3. Daniel Bejarano, Phoenix North, Sr., G: 28 points in North’s 5A-I state semifinal win over Phoenix St. Mary’s.
4. Andre Hatchett, Tucson Salpointe, Sr., C: 26 points in 4A-II title-game loss to Tucson Santa Rita.
5. Corey Hawkins, Goodyear Estrella Foothills, Sr., G: Hawkins broke Mike Bibby’s Arizona single-season scoring record of 1,132 points (set in 1995-96) in the 3A boys semifinal win over Winslow.
On deck
The Class 5A Division I and Division II boys and girls state basketball championships will be held Wednesday at Arizona State University’s Wells Fargo Arena. The schedule is as follows:
Class 5A-II girls: Tolleson vs. Phoenix Pinnacle, 2 p.m.
Class 5A-II boys: Anthem Boulder Creek vs. Scottsdale Chaparral, 4 p.m.
Class 5A-I girls: Phoenix St. Mary’s vs. Mesa Dobson, 6 p.m.
Class 5A-I boys: Phoenix North vs. Laveen Cesar Chavez, 8 p.m.
Craig’s cranium
Arizona is preparing for a changing of the guard. From Arizona State-bound backcourt man Corey Hawkins to Arizona-bound Daniel Bejarano, the Arizona prep ranks have witnessed terrific guard play this season. Of the top names in the high school ranks this season, most were guards and all but one either led their team to a state titles or the state-title game.
Hawkins helped Goodyear Estrella Foothills win its third straight 3A title; Bejarano will lead Phoenix North against Laveen Cesar Chavez for the 5A-I title tonight; Maryland-bound Terrell Stoglin won a 4A-II title for Tucson Santa Rita; and Kansas-bound Royce Woolridge lost the 4A-I title game at the buzzer to Tempe McClintock. Mesa's Carson, an Oregon State commitment, fell in the 5A-I quarterfinals to Phoenix St. Mary's, but he'll get another crack since he is only a junior. Mesa was the top seed.
It's too early to say what the 2010-11 season will bring, but filling the shoes of this dynamic foursome will be no small task for the newcomers.
Craig Morgan is a freelance writer who has covered professional, college and high school sports in the Phoenix area for the past 18 years. He currently serves as the Phoenix correspondent for CBSSports.com, covering the Arizona Cardinals and other local teams. He also writes a weekly column and other features for The Arizona Republic. You can reach him at craig@thewordsmithonline.com.
