Taylor Corlew is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mountain Pointe for AZPreps365.com

TEMPE - A tenacious defensive effort and balanced scoring attack lifted Mountain Pointe over its 6A Central rival Corona Del Sol, 56-52, as the Pride sealed their 13th consecutive victory on Monday night. 

Mountain Pointe began the game aggressively on both ends, attacking the rim and drawing fouls at will against the Aztec defense. Freshman forward Jaylon Johnson set the defensive tone for the Pride, rejecting the Aztecs’ first two shot attempts. 

While Mountain Pointe didn't employ a full-court press to start, the Pride made a concerted effort to pick up each Corona Del Sol ball handler 94 feet following each made basket for all 32 minutes. 

As a result of the opening defensive pressure, the Pride forced three consecutive turnovers in the opening minutes of the game. All of which resulted in uncontested layups for Mountain Pointe. 

Mountain Pointe dominated the opening quarter of the game, ending the first quarter with a commanding 13-point lead, 20-7. 

The Aztecs battled back, ultimately doubling Mountain Pointe’s offensive output in the second quarter, outscoring them 18-9. Corona Del Sol closed the gap, but the first half ended in favor of Mountain Pointe, 29-25. 

Throughout the game, the Pride asserted themselves in both the paint and on the glass, while also connecting on three shots from long range. Senior shooting guard Tanner Pate was responsible for two of the three deep balls. 

“It all starts with our energy and effort,” Mountain Pointe head coach Kaimarr Price said. “We got some open looks. They switched between 1-3-1 and 2-3. Which is great, but we’ve just got to be more patient, move the ball a little more, and have more player movement.”

The Mountain Pointe offense was led by the junior duo of Mark Brown and Roosevelt “Tru” Washington. Brown finished the game with 13 points, including three of the game-clinching free throws, while Washington finished the game with 11 points. Entering Monday night’s game, Brown averaged 18.4 ppg while Washington averaged a team-high 22.2.

Mountain Pointe employed a noticeable defensive adjustment to start the second half. The Pride began the third quarter in a 2-2-1 full-court press. The press proved instantly successful as Washington stole the ball and proceeded to emphatically dunk over an Aztec defender for the and-one play.

The enthusiasm drawn from that play was short-lived as Corona Del Sol proceeded to end the third quarter on an 18-11 run, leaving the game tied at 43 going into the fourth.

The fourth quarter was a competitive, back-and-forth bout with both teams trading baskets along with the lead multiple times. But turnovers and defensive rebounds proved to be the deciding factors as the Aztecs ultimately fell victim to the Pride’s suffocating full-court defensive pressure. 

After a few possessions of the foul game, Brown knocked down three game-clinching free throws to seal the victory for Mountain Pointe. “We just stayed together, played hard, and got the win,” Washington said. “We just have to come out with more energy and not let up next time.”

Senior shooting guard Tanner Pate exchanges high fives with his teammates as his name is announced for the starting lineups. (Taylor Corlew photo/AZPreps365)

Despite the loss, Aztecs’ head coach Neil Macdonald remains optimistic about his chances against the Pride as they travel the short distance between the two campuses on Tuesday night to face Mountain Pointe again.

“Well, we just took the number three team in the state down to the last possession so it was all pretty positive,” Macdonald said. “I mean, we got down early and could have folded and we didn't, we fought back.”

Mountain Pointe (18-1, 9-0) will face the Aztecs (12-13, 5-4) again to close out their season at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the second game of a back-to-back, this time hosting the matchup.