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Mesa Advances in Division I Super
Sectional I PLAY -
February 11, 2015 By Richard Smith, West Valley Preps
Mesa is not the basketball program and Shane Burcar is not the basketball
coach that believes in throttling down.
So even with a No. 6 ranking in Division I and the state playoffs a week
away, the Jackrabbits approached this week's Super Sectionals at full
speed. It showed in Wednesday's 66-27 dismantling of Centennial at
O'Connor High School in Phoenix.
Mesa (18-4) will face Anthem Boulder Creek in the semifinals Friday at
O'Connor. And Burcar wants his squad to continue building toward its peak
before state — on the court and in the rankings.
"The AIA takes some heat for the sectionals, but I like the sectionals. I
like that you earn your way in," Burcar said. "We take it serious. Right
now we're the sixth seed and if we lost tonight we'd drop. If we lose
Friday, we drop. I've been following sports my whole life and I'd rather
be a higher seed."
Centennial (13-13) sprung to life late in the first quarter after falling
behind 9-0. The Coyotes pressed and pushed the pace to draw within 11-8 at
the period's end.
Then the Jackrabbits began to break the press and convert layups or
three-point shots. Mesa's half-court defense swarmed the Coyotes, forcing
turnovers and poor shots.
Senior point guard Andres Gurrola poured in 12 of his 14 points in the
quarter as Mesa burst to a 32-15 halftime advantage.
"We thought our half-court defense could be better this time and make them
make shots over us," Mesa coach Shane Burcar said. "I thought our guys
competed a whole time. Our kids take pride in that effort."
This gap only grew as the Jackrabbits continued to bury threes and clamp
down defensively.
Three of Mesa's nine treys on the night landed early in the third quarter
as the lead ballooned to 42-18. Senior shooting guard Sumeet Khara led all
scorers with 15 points, all coming on five three-pointers.
"That's a phenomenal basketball team. They're No. 6 in the state for a
reason and they're going to make a good, long run," Centennial coach
Michael Gahan said. "We just couldn't get the ball to go in and were a
little nervous at the start. The kids got the shots they wanted in the
second half but it just wasn't our night."
Free throws, late-game execution helps
Mesa edge Desert Mountain
January 8, 2015 by arizonavarsity.com
The combination of sounds that filled the gymnasium at Scottsdale (Ariz.)
Desert Mountain Thursday night was consistent with the hard-fought battle
being waged by two well-respected programs inside the black lines.
The evening was full of whistles, candid remarks from the crowd, fidgety
coaches, bodies hitting the floor and careless basketballs drifting to
unmarked areas on the hardwood floor. It's greatest crescendo, however,
managed to last the entire second half -- a 16-minute, head-to-head
stalemate that needed to be decided in the final minute.
Ultimately by someone not something.
Mesa (Ariz.) High senior guard Sumeet Khara sensed the moment with the
clock winding down and single-handedly snatched a victory with his two
bare hands.
Trailing the Jackrabbits 58-55 with just over 15 seconds to play, Wolves
senior guard Grant Fogerty drove the right side of the lane toward the
basket before kicking the ball out to sophomore wing Jordan Phelps-Castro,
who was open on the left side of the arc for a game-tying three-point
attempt.
Unfortunately, Fogerty's pass never arrived to its final destination -- as
Khara intercepted the potential connection near the baseline with 10.6
seconds remaining. The senior proceeded to put the game away with four
straight free throws, as Mesa hung on for a much-needed road victory,
62-55.
"Last game against Gilbert, we didn't get enough stops and missed some
crucial shots, which is why we lost," said Khara, who finished with a
team-high 18 points. "I think we did a better job of executing late in
this one. We got stops when we needed to and made free throws.
"A win like this gives us a big boost. We needed a win right here on the
road, because we have three tough games coming up against Chaparral,
Pinnacle and Brophy. This was big for us."
Thursday's triumph pushed the Jackrabbits to a pristine 15-2 but more than
anything it put Shane Burcar's squad back in the right frame of mind after
Tuesday's tough home defeat to the Gilbert (Ariz.) Tigers.
"Desert Mountain is a tough place to play," said Burcar. "We knew coming
in that this is one of the hardest places to win in the state. That was
our big concern. We knew we had to get over Tuesday night. It was a tough
loss, but we had to move on.
"Our performance was good, but we still have to work on our execution."
While Mesa turned it over 16 times on the night, it also managed to turn
Desert Mountain over on 18 occasions -- including three late in the third
quarter which led to seven straight points and a huge shift in momentum.
"We took a timeout after going down 44-40 [in the third quarter]," said
Burcar. "But then I think we came out and finished the quarter on a 7-0
run. It wasn't anything we said or did. Our guys just responded, didn't
turn the ball over and made plays."
In the win, Drew Hatch had 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Kale Abbott knocked down three of six attempts from beyond the three-point
arc, and Andres Gurrola added seven assists and two big free throws with
2:45 to play.
On the flip side, the Wolves spoiled a great performance from junior
forward Adam Rees, who had a game-high 19 points but failed to score in
the final period. Fogerty also pitched in with 15 points and three
assists, though his night was marred by Khara's last-minute steal.
Gilbert stops Mesa High in overtime
January 6, 2015 by Les Willsey, AIA365
Gilbert boys basketball coach Jay Caserio thought he saw daylight Tuesday
night in his team's struggle to protect leads and win a few more close
games. A seven-point lead with 2:55 to play in regulation was Caserio's
reason for optimism.
Well, that lead vanished as time ran out in regulation, but his Tigers
executed enough in overtime to pull out a 62-56 victory over Mesa High in
a Division I game at Jackrabbit Gym.
"We've come close a few times closing games out and I thought we might be
over the hump up eight," Caserio said of a 48-40 edge with 4:29 to play.
"We did better tonight. We won. We're not quite there yet, but we made
progress."
Gilbert (9-5, 5-1 power-ranking games) got clutch scoring in the fourth
period and overtime from Chris Bowling and reserve Byron Hurd. They also
got a handful of rebounds from 6-8 senior post Truman Moore (10 points),
who twice got the ball back for his team in overtime after teammates
missed the front end of one-and-ones. Bowling finished with a game-high 20
points -- 16 in the second half. Hurd scored eight of his 11 points in the
fourth quarter, including two 3s that left with with three treys for the
game.
Bowling, a 6-foot-7 junior, made the biggest shot of the night, swishing a
3 with 39 seconds left in overtime to put Gilbert ahead to stay, 55-53.
Mesa had taken its final lead of the night at 53-52 on Drew Hatch's third
trey of game with 1:58 left. Mesa (14-2, 7-1 prg) had a chance to extend
its lead to three with 1:04 left in OT, but missed the front end of a
one-and-one. It wasn't until Bowling sank two free throws and Moore one in
the final 10 seconds that Gilbert was home free.
"Chris made some big shots and we rebounded well," Caserio said. "We
needed to. We had a size advantage, and looked to take advantage of that."
Gilbert did just that as they fed Moore in the post for seven
first-quarter points and nine overall in the first half. Gilbert led at
hafltime 27-25, but Mesa managed to rally and lead 40-36 after three
periods. That was courtesy of eight points from its big man -- Darius
Godeau and 6-of-6 free-throw shooting by the Jackrabbits in the quarter.
Mesa coach Shane Burcar, who saw his team drop its first game of the
season on its home floor, was disappointed with his team's execution in
overtime. .
"You have to make free throws and get the rebounds when they miss," Burcar
said. "We did make some big shots to get back in it, but we had the
opportunity to win this one. We got a good shot off at the end of
regulation., too. We had chances."
Mesa was led in scoring by David Cummard with 14 points, 12 in the first
half. Kale Abbott added 12 and Goudeau chipped in with 10. Mesa made 10 3s
in the game -- five in the first half and five in the second half and
overtime.
Westview hands Mesa High
first loss
December 26, 2014 by Les Willsey, AIA365
Westview’s boys basketball team didn’t flinch at an early nine-point
deficit Friday afternoon in its matchup with unbeaten Mesa High. And once
they rallied and took the lead late in the third period they didn’t blink
when Mesa attempted a comeback.
Sparked by scoring binges from Kendall Barnes in the third period and
Daniel Arce in the fourth, Westview dealt Mesa an 84-78 loss in
first-round action at the McClintock Holiday Shootout at Doc Zinke Gym.
Westview improved to 6-5 on the season and takes on McClintock in the late
quarterfinal Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Mesa, which won its own Jackrabbit
Invitational Thanksgiving week, saw its 10-game winning streak end. Mesa
plays again Saturday in the loser’s bracket at 11:30 a.m. against Saguaro.
Westview didn’t start strong, falling behind 16-4 in the game’s first four
minutes. That was due to fast starts by Mesa guard Sumeet Khara and Darius
Goodeau, who combined for 17 of the Jackrabbits’ 20 first-period points.
Khara sank three 3s to ignite a 13-4 lead.
But Westview gradually rallied cutting the lead to 20-19 at quarter’s end.
The Knights managed to lead at halftime, 33-32, as all seven players who
saw time scored. It was the final four minutes of the third period that
ultimately decided this one.
Barnes, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, keyed a 13-2 run with seven consecutive
points. That run culminated with back-to-back steals near mid-court he
took the distance for lay-ups. Barnes score 10 of his game-high 24 points
in the quarter.
Mesa was forced to play catch up the final period, something it rarely had
to do in its first 10 games. Mesa pulled within 62-58 with 5:06 to play,
but that was while Arce was lighting up the scoreboard.
Arce, who was averaging around seven points a game and had just three
points in the first three quarters, scored 14 points in the final period.
He tallied the Knights’ first 12 of the quarter and the lead grew to 72-62
with 2:07 left. Mesa fouled frequently the final two minutes trying to
make it a one-possession game and hoping missed free throws would help.
Westview shrugged that notion off, hitting 16 of 17 free throws in the
fourth quarter.
Westview had four of its starters score in double figures led by Barnes,
Dom Sesma with 23 ( three 3s in the third period and 6-of-6 free throws in
the fourth), Arce and Jakarie Alexander (10). Westview made 12 3s in the
game and Mesa connected on nine. Mesa was led in scoring by Goudeau with
22, Khara and Kale Abbott with 13 apiece and David Cummard with 10.
Free throws, late-game execution helps
Mesa edge Desert Mountain
January 8, 2015 by arizonavarsity.com
The combination of sounds that filled the gymnasium at Scottsdale (Ariz.)
Desert Mountain Thursday night was consistent with the hard-fought battle
being waged by two well-respected programs inside the black lines.
The evening was full of whistles, candid remarks from the crowd, fidgety
coaches, bodies hitting the floor and careless basketballs drifting to
unmarked areas on the hardwood floor. It's greatest crescendo, however,
managed to last the entire second half -- a 16-minute, head-to-head
stalemate that needed to be decided in the final minute.
Ultimately by someone not something.
Mesa (Ariz.) High senior guard Sumeet Khara sensed the moment with the
clock winding down and single-handedly snatched a victory with his two
bare hands.
Trailing the Jackrabbits 58-55 with just over 15 seconds to play, Wolves
senior guard Grant Fogerty drove the right side of the lane toward the
basket before kicking the ball out to sophomore wing Jordan Phelps-Castro,
who was open on the left side of the arc for a game-tying three-point
attempt.
Unfortunately, Fogerty's pass never arrived to its final destination -- as
Khara intercepted the potential connection near the baseline with 10.6
seconds remaining. The senior proceeded to put the game away with four
straight free throws, as Mesa hung on for a much-needed road victory,
62-55.
"Last game against Gilbert, we didn't get enough stops and missed some
crucial shots, which is why we lost," said Khara, who finished with a
team-high 18 points. "I think we did a better job of executing late in
this one. We got stops when we needed to and made free throws.
"A win like this gives us a big boost. We needed a win right here on the
road, because we have three tough games coming up against Chaparral,
Pinnacle and Brophy. This was big for us."
Thursday's triumph pushed the Jackrabbits to a pristine 15-2 but more than
anything it put Shane Burcar's squad back in the right frame of mind after
Tuesday's tough home defeat to the Gilbert (Ariz.) Tigers.
"Desert Mountain is a tough place to play," said Burcar. "We knew coming
in that this is one of the hardest places to win in the state. That was
our big concern. We knew we had to get over Tuesday night. It was a tough
loss, but we had to move on.
"Our performance was good, but we still have to work on our execution."
While Mesa turned it over 16 times on the night, it also managed to turn
Desert Mountain over on 18 occasions -- including three late in the third
quarter which led to seven straight points and a huge shift in momentum.
"We took a timeout after going down 44-40 [in the third quarter]," said
Burcar. "But then I think we came out and finished the quarter on a 7-0
run. It wasn't anything we said or did. Our guys just responded, didn't
turn the ball over and made plays."
In the win, Drew Hatch had 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Kale Abbott knocked down three of six attempts from beyond the three-point
arc, and Andres Gurrola added seven assists and two big free throws with
2:45 to play.
On the flip side, the Wolves spoiled a great performance from junior
forward Adam Rees, who had a game-high 19 points but failed to score in
the final period. Fogerty also pitched in with 15 points and three
assists, though his night was marred by Khara's last-minute steal.
Gilbert stops Mesa High in overtime
January 6, 2015 by Les Willsey, AIA365
Gilbert boys basketball coach Jay Caserio thought he saw daylight Tuesday
night in his team's struggle to protect leads and win a few more close
games. A seven-point lead with 2:55 to play in regulation was Caserio's
reason for optimism.
Well, that lead vanished as time ran out in regulation, but his Tigers
executed enough in overtime to pull out a 62-56 victory over Mesa High in
a Division I game at Jackrabbit Gym.
"We've come close a few times closing games out and I thought we might be
over the hump up eight," Caserio said of a 48-40 edge with 4:29 to play.
"We did better tonight. We won. We're not quite there yet, but we made
progress."
Gilbert (9-5, 5-1 power-ranking games) got clutch scoring in the fourth
period and overtime from Chris Bowling and reserve Byron Hurd. They also
got a handful of rebounds from 6-8 senior post Truman Moore (10 points),
who twice got the ball back for his team in overtime after teammates
missed the front end of one-and-ones. Bowling finished with a game-high 20
points -- 16 in the second half. Hurd scored eight of his 11 points in the
fourth quarter, including two 3s that left with with three treys for the
game.
Bowling, a 6-foot-7 junior, made the biggest shot of the night, swishing a
3 with 39 seconds left in overtime to put Gilbert ahead to stay, 55-53.
Mesa had taken its final lead of the night at 53-52 on Drew Hatch's third
trey of game with 1:58 left. Mesa (14-2, 7-1 prg) had a chance to extend
its lead to three with 1:04 left in OT, but missed the front end of a
one-and-one. It wasn't until Bowling sank two free throws and Moore one in
the final 10 seconds that Gilbert was home free.
"Chris made some big shots and we rebounded well," Caserio said. "We
needed to. We had a size advantage, and looked to take advantage of that."
Gilbert did just that as they fed Moore in the post for seven
first-quarter points and nine overall in the first half. Gilbert led at
hafltime 27-25, but Mesa managed to rally and lead 40-36 after three
periods. That was courtesy of eight points from its big man -- Darius
Godeau and 6-of-6 free-throw shooting by the Jackrabbits in the quarter.
Mesa coach Shane Burcar, who saw his team drop its first game of the
season on its home floor, was disappointed with his team's execution in
overtime. .
"You have to make free throws and get the rebounds when they miss," Burcar
said. "We did make some big shots to get back in it, but we had the
opportunity to win this one. We got a good shot off at the end of
regulation., too. We had chances."
Mesa was led in scoring by David Cummard with 14 points, 12 in the first
half. Kale Abbott added 12 and Goudeau chipped in with 10. Mesa made 10 3s
in the game -- five in the first half and five in the second half and
overtime.
Westview hands Mesa High
first loss
December 26, 2014 by Les Willsey, AIA365
Westview’s boys basketball team didn’t flinch at an early nine-point
deficit Friday afternoon in its matchup with unbeaten Mesa High. And once
they rallied and took the lead late in the third period they didn’t blink
when Mesa attempted a comeback.
Sparked by scoring binges from Kendall Barnes in the third period and
Daniel Arce in the fourth, Westview dealt Mesa an 84-78 loss in
first-round action at the McClintock Holiday Shootout at Doc Zinke Gym.
Westview improved to 6-5 on the season and takes on McClintock in the late
quarterfinal Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Mesa, which won its own Jackrabbit
Invitational Thanksgiving week, saw its 10-game winning streak end. Mesa
plays again Saturday in the loser’s bracket at 11:30 a.m. against Saguaro.
Westview didn’t start strong, falling behind 16-4 in the game’s first four
minutes. That was due to fast starts by Mesa guard Sumeet Khara and Darius
Goodeau, who combined for 17 of the Jackrabbits’ 20 first-period points.
Khara sank three 3s to ignite a 13-4 lead.
But Westview gradually rallied cutting the lead to 20-19 at quarter’s end.
The Knights managed to lead at halftime, 33-32, as all seven players who
saw time scored. It was the final four minutes of the third period that
ultimately decided this one.
Barnes, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, keyed a 13-2 run with seven consecutive
points. That run culminated with back-to-back steals near mid-court he
took the distance for lay-ups. Barnes score 10 of his game-high 24 points
in the quarter.
Mesa was forced to play catch up the final period, something it rarely had
to do in its first 10 games. Mesa pulled within 62-58 with 5:06 to play,
but that was while Arce was lighting up the scoreboard.
Arce, who was averaging around seven points a game and had just three
points in the first three quarters, scored 14 points in the final period.
He tallied the Knights’ first 12 of the quarter and the lead grew to 72-62
with 2:07 left. Mesa fouled frequently the final two minutes trying to
make it a one-possession game and hoping missed free throws would help.
Westview shrugged that notion off, hitting 16 of 17 free throws in the
fourth quarter.
Westview had four of its starters score in double figures led by Barnes,
Dom Sesma with 23 ( three 3s in the third period and 6-of-6 free throws in
the fourth), Arce and Jakarie Alexander (10). Westview made 12 3s in the
game and Mesa connected on nine. Mesa was led in scoring by Goudeau with
22, Khara and Kale Abbott with 13 apiece and David Cummard with 10.
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