Basha played keep-away from Desert Ridge maintaining the lead 99 percent of the time on Thursday in the second game of the 2021 boys basketball season for both teams. Save one deficit for a few seconds in the opening quarter, the Bears earned their second win in as many outings posting a 74-61 victory over the Jaguars in a 6A non-region game at Basha High.

The persisent scoring of dependable senior Trent McLaughlin paced Basha's victory. McLaughlin has been chosen first-team, all-Premier Region each of the last two seasons. McLaughlin poured in 33 points making 11 of 15 shots from the field and all 9 of his free throws. The Bears' lead was steady at five to seven points and Desert Ridge was within 61-56 with 4:47 left.

The rest of the game belonged to Basha with a boost offensively from the Bears' other senior starter, Thomas Hastings. Hastings scored 18 points in the opening night win over Chandler, but netted only two through three quarters in this one. His lone three-point basket of the night began a 13-5 run to the final buzzer. Hastings scored 12 points in the final period , including making 7 of 8 free throws clinching the win.

"Their guys know us and we know them," Basha coach Mike Grothaus said. "We run a lot of the same stuff, and they might have run it better than we did tonight. "I like what I've seen so far. This is the deepest team we've had since the state title team (2016). We go eight or nine deep and have guys that can step on a given night."

Desert Ridge (1-1) began the season Tuesday turning back Highland, 45-44. Coach Greg Ream's team thrives on three-point shooting, led by its own senior all-Central Region guard, Joe Kelsey. The Jaguars are used to shooting in then mid 30-percent range from behind the arc, but managed to connect on just 6 of 28 (21 percent). Basha shot about half as many threes and made one more (7 of 15). Four of those makes came from bench players Mason Blankenship and Lucas Fichiera. Kelsey led Desert Ridge with 26 points. The Jaguars' inside presence was manned by Kade Kennedy, who finished with 13 points and Gavin Bray added nine points.

 Both schools play again Friday with Basha hosting Cibola and Desert Ridge visiting retooling and defending stat champ Desert Vista.