Josh Amick is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover McClintock for AZPreps365.com

In a battle for the 5A Metro regional title, this game did not disappoint as No. 2 Fairfax defeated No. 1 McClintock 57-54 at McClintock High on Thursday night.

The McClintock Chargers entered the game red-hot, winners of 16 in a row, and needed a win against the Fairfax Stampede to continue their record-breaking win streak and clinch the 5A Metro title.

The Stampede needed a win to tie for the regional title, since the Chargers previously beat them 58-39 on Jan. 13. Both teams' only losses came against each other in regional play.

“The turning point in the game came in the fourth quarter when we were exchanging buckets back and forth,” McClintock guard Aiyanna Perkins said. “Unfortunately, they just got the edge on us.” 

Perkins led all scorers with 28 points, while the Stampede had contributions from multiple players.

Scoring at a high clip is nothing new for Perkins, who averaged 21.9 points entering Thursday's game. The sophomore guard also eclipsed 1,000 career points by halftime, an impressive feat for the second-year player.

“Chargers fans, we appreciate you coming out to the game tonight, and we wanted to acknowledge Aiyanna Perkins on her 1,000th career point,” McClintock coach Sydnie Lengyel said. 

Lengyel addressed fans at halftime, and the crowd's eruption brought a big smile on Perkins' face. She waved to the crowd and did a little dance before running to the locker room with a 31-28 lead.

Mackenzie Buckner, the Stampede’s leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, was held to four points in the first half. In the second half, she found her spots in the paint, scoring four points in the third and eight in the fourth.

“They knew we liked to drive, so they played their 2-3 zone and tried to trap at times,” senior guard Xaria Culver said. “We knew they were gonna pack the paint because we do drive but we also have shooters on the team.”

The battle in the paint was the difference as the Stampede’s “bigs” combined for 33 of the team's 57 points.

There is a quick turnaround for the Chargers, who wrap up regional play Friday night. They face the No. 3 ranked regional team, South Mountain. 

If the Chargers beat South Mountain, they will finish tied for the title with the Stampede, each with an 11-1 regional record. In their last matchup, McClintock beat South Mountain 75-10 on Jan. 17.

“We are not taking any game or any opponent lightly,” Culver said. “We are going to keep pushing, take this loss and build off of it.”

With the playoff seeding set to be released Saturday, a rubber match between the Chargers and the Stampede could happen again.

“We still got playoffs, so we have to keep going,” Culver said. “This ain't (seen) the last of us, they (the Stampede) are gonna see us again.”