Photo: Uriah Tenette continues to lead the state in scoring (Photo by Ron Williams)
The Brophy Prep Broncos needed a big second half to beat the Prescott Badgers 74-61 in Phoenix, on the opening night of the Open Division boys basketball playoffs.
The 4A Badgers played a great first half against the 6A Broncos, who needed to make some halftime adjustments to take over in the second half.
The game was tied back and forth early before Brophy broke out to a seven point lead 20-13, two minutes into the second quarter.
The Badgers still trailed by seven later in the second quarter 25-18, before going on a 11-2 run by to close out the first half. Grand Canyon Region player of the year, Uriah Tenette drilled his only three pointer of the night, tying the game at 27, and then scored a basket with a minute left in the quarter for a 29-27 halftime lead.
Brophy Prep came out in the third quarter and doubled their first half output by scoring 27 points, as the Broncos dominated most of the second half, including a 15-2 run to close out the third quarter, to lead 54-42. Brophy did this by knocking down three pointers, out rebounding the Badgers, and taking advantage of turnovers.
Despite being double teamed, Tenette scored 15 points in the second half, finishing with 33. Zane Gaul had his 15th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, plus three blocked shots. Cooper Magnett sparked the offense in the second half with a pair of three pointers, finished with 10 points.
Nick Sanford came off the bench for the Broncos scoring 20 points, lighting up the scoreboard with five baskets coming from downtown. Brophy Prep connected on eleven three point shots, seven of those in the second half.
The Badgers trailed by as many as 17 in the final quarter, but cut the deficit to eight, 69-61, with a little more than a minute to play, but that was as close as they would get.
The loss snaps the Badgers 13 game winning streak and drops Prescott to (22-4). The Badgers will now wait and see who their opponent will be next week in the first round of the 4A Division playoffs. Brophy Prep (16-10), moves on to face Desert Vista, who upset Boulder Creek by one point.
BROPHY PREP BRONCOS 74, PRESCOTT BADGERS 61
PRESCOTT (61)-Magnett 4 0-0 10, Tenette 11 10-14 33, Gaul 4 1-3 10, Fundalewicz 0 0-0 0, Peoples 2 1-1 5, Diener 0 0-0 0, Lyon 1 0-0 3, Bernardo 0 0-0 0, Schuster 0 0-0 0. 22 12-18 61.
BROPHY PREP (74)-Speed 4 2-3 10, Wieskamp 5 5-8 15, Rehl 2 0-0 5, Burbach 3 0-0 9, Sharper 4 0-0 10, Sanford 7 1-1 20, Schwertley 0 0-0 0, Hansen 2 1-3 5. 27 9-15 74.
Score by Quarters- 1 2 3 4 – T
Prescott 10 19 13 19 – 61
Brophy Prep 12 15 27 20 – 74
Total Fouls-P 18, BP 17
Fouled Out-Sharper
Three Pointers- P(5)-Magnett 2, Tenette 1, Gaul 1, Lyon 1. BP(11)-Sanford 5, Burbach 3, Sharper 2, Rehl 1
PLAYOFF SCOREBOARD
Open Division
ALA-Gilbert North 74, Dysart 64
Basha 95, Mica Mountain 50
Brophy Prep 74, Prescott 61
Canyon View 87, Cesar Chavez 81
Deer Valley 69, Sahuaro 66, OT
Desert Mountain 48, Thunderbird 43
Desert Vista 68, Boulder Creek 67
Highland 71, Sandra Day O’Connor 68
Ironwood 61, Hamilton 39
Mesquite 60, Pinnacle 57
Millennium 88, Higley 70
Monument Valley 61, Page 58
Notre Dame Prep 91, Liberty 75
Perry 75, Willow Canyon 43
St. Mary’s 84, Mesa 54
Sunnyslope 78, Cienega 46
Tucson 58, Casteel 51
3A Division
Camp Verde 78, Winslow 53
Florence 55, Palo Verde Magnet 48
Monument Valley 61, Page 58
Parker 64, Safford 56
Sabino 67, Coolidge 57
Scottsdale Christian 56, Fountain Hills 44
Show Low 53, Payson 43
Thatcher 51, Pusch Ridge 45
Small Schools Division
Trinity Christian 76, Academy with Community Partners 31
