Kyle Cooper is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Deer Valley High School for AZPreps365.com

The Deer Valley Skyhawks were flying high after heading into halftime with a 40-19 lead over the Buckeye Union Hawks on Tuesday at the preseason Sunnyslope Hoopsgiving Basketball Tournament. The Skyhawks maintained the lead through the second half and won 68-55. 

Despite scoring 21 points in the second quarter and going up by as much as 21, the Skyhawks saw the Hawks come within striking distance in the second half. The Skyhawks only scored 28 points in the second half compared to 40 in the first. 

"First half was good, but their effort was poor in the second half," Deer Valley coach Jed Dunn said. "They owe me a whole bunch tomorrow. I wasn't happy with them."

The Hawks forced several turnovers and at one point cut the lead to 11 as they made a comeback in the fourth quarter, but they ran short on time and fell 68-55.

"Our team didn't achieve our potential on defense tonight," Vasquez said. "Feel like we normally play better defense. They scored too much, and I know that we are capable of playing good defense."

On offense, it was an all-around performance for the Skyhawks, as four players scored double-digit points.  Point guard Sergio Gonzales and shooting guard Travis Vasquez each had 10 points in the first half and finished the game with 14. To go along with Vasquez and Gonzales, shooting guard Teddy Johnson finished with 14 points, and center Alon Johnson added 11. 

"Our offense did well in the first half," Vasquez said. "We were moving the ball, and no one on our team was selfish. Everyone is getting a touch and getting their shots up. I feel like we were successful in the first half, but in the second half, we became stagnant and overconfident. I know we will bounce back tomorrow and prove that we are better than that." 

One bright spot for the Skyhawks in the second half was Johnson's electrifying dunk over a Hawks defender. The crowd erupted as he jumped up and finished with authority. 

"That's my guy," center A.J. Ajawin said. "He has bounce, and you will see a lot more of those plays throughout the season." 

For the Skyhawks to only win by 13 after a high-scoring first half was a disappointment and a sign of need for improvement going into their next game. 

"Defensively, we could have been better," Ajawin said. "We gave up a lot of shots, especially towards the end of the game. But I think we will come back tomorrow and be better defensively. Offensively, we had some good looks in the beginning, but then we started to turn the ball over a lot. I think that our team is going to do better going forward."

Deer Valley will play its last game of the Sunnyslope Hoopsgiving Basketball Tournament as they host the Verrado Vipers on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The Skyhawks are 2-0 in the tournament after beating the Horizon Huskies 81-34 on Monday. They will look to improve their second-half defensive woes in this matchup.

"Handling their pressure, getting good looks, and getting to the middle," Dunn said. "We need to defend them well. They are good and athletic."

Going into the regular season, the Skyhawks will look to their defense to win games and aim to return to the state championship. 

"I think if we are going to do well, it is going to be at the defensive end," Dunn said. "We are super talented, but we can't get complacent. Our schedule is pretty tough, so we can't get complacent. We played in the state championship last year, so everyone is excited to play Deer Valley. They will want to beat us and knock us off. (We) can't have any letdowns this season". 

It will be a chance for the Skyhawks players to showcase their talent and uphold their reputation as one of the best teams in the 4A West Valley conference. 

"I look forward to competing at the highest level," Ajawin said. "Playing the best teams in the state and trying to win every game. We look at ourselves as the underdogs even though we were at the state championship last year. We still feel like we have a lot to prove." 

Deer Valley opens its regular season on the road against the Hamilton Huskies on Tuesday.