No Peat? No problem for Perry.

It took a near-miraculous comeback in the final 40 seconds, but the Pumas found a way to get over on Millennium yet again Saturday afternoon during a 58-57 thriller in the PrimeTime Invitational championship game at Brophy Prep.

Monarch Sports hosts the annual summer event, which included eight of the state's top teams. Saturday's rematch of the Open championship game in March could not match the atmosphere or the stakes of that contest, but both clubs demonstrated why they'll be Open favorites again next winter.

With its All-American Koa Peat training with Team USA, Perry's D'Andre Harrison showcased his talents, using his powerful 6-5 frame to score 26 points and nine rebounds. Harrison was a monster in the paint, using his quickness and strength for short range field goals and put backs. But it was his outside touch that keyed the Pumas comeback in the final moments. 

Millennium led most of the second half by 8-10 points and held a 56-50 lead with :40 seconds remaining. That's when Harrison connected on his first three-pointer, cutting the lead to three points. MIllennium's Brayden Barrett knocked down one free throw for a 57-53 lead, but Perry wasn't finished.

On its next possession, Harrison hit another three before Perry stole the inbound pass from Millennium with 18 seconds left. Dominic Avalos then hit a short jumper and the Pumas suddenly led 58-57. Millennium got a few decent looks on its final possession, but Perry's fesity defense clamped down to secure the win.

 

Millennium guard Adrian Higuera gets creative for two points in the 2nd half against Perry. The Tigers lead 48-41 with 8 minutes remaining @MillenniumHoops pic.twitter.com/Y8KSiXLJgo

— Ben Stapley (@AZpreps365Ben) June 8, 2024

 

 

"We felt like they wanted their revenge from the state championship game, so I knew they were going to come hard at us," Harrison said afterwards. "We were down by 10 with only five or six minutes left, but we stayed together in what we do and I feel like that was a great win for us."

Harrison scored eight points in the game's first 10 miuntes as the team's battled evenly. But Millennium slowly took control by halftime with a 37-28 lead. The Tigers, led by juniors Cameron Holmes (16 points) and Brayden Barrett (15), continued to control the game for much of the second half, and led 48-38 with under 10 minutes to play. That's when Millennium went cold and Perry clawed its way back with a 10-0 run to the the score at 48. Guard NoNo Brown (12 points) sparked with a three-pointer.

Millennium didn't seem phased. 

The Tigers answered with a three-point play from Holmes and a three-point field goal from Barrett for a six point cushion (56-50) before Perry's unlikely comeback in the final minute.

 

"We wanted to prove how good we can be even without Koa," Brown said after the game. "DeAndre wanted to prove something, we all wanted to prove something. We played good and we played hard, that's just what we do."

Brown scored Perry's last two points in its 71-67 victory over Millennium in the Open division championship game March 2nd, when the Pumas overcame a 17-point deficit. The Tigers were also down one of their star players in 6-7 forward Kingston Tosi, who also had a prior camp commitment. 

JT Amundsen added 10 points for Millennium.

"I don't care about wins and losses during the summer," Millennium coach Ty Amundsen said. "It doesn't mean anything to anybody other than us trying to get better."