Thanksgiving hoops: EV, southern Arizona tourney roundup

November 26, 2012 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Pinnacle's Sydney Wiese will graduate at the end of this school year, but before she does she's ready to do more damage on the hardwood.

Wiese, a fourth-year starter, turned in a most-valuable-player performance last week leading Pinnacle to the championship of the annual Highland Thanksgiving Girls Basketball Tournament at Highland High.

Pinnacle toppled Mountain Pointe, 76-57,  in the final to cap a 6-0 start ot its season. The 19-point margin of victory was the closest game of the six Pinnacle played. Wiese averaged 22 poitns game in the Pioneers six wins. She led Pinnacle with 24 in the championship game. Kenna McDavis added 22 and Britta Nordstrom 17 for the winners. 

In other games played last Saturday on the final day of the tournament, Highland beat Seton, 41-25, for third place; Hamilton defeated Boulder Creek, 60-49, for fifth and Tolleson handled Mesquite, 46-36, for seventh place.

Joining Wiese on the all-tournament team were Pinnacle teammates Nordstrom and Jessie Poneoma; Mountain Pointe's Caitlin Hetrick, Kaylah Lupoe and Michelle Luna; Highland's Olviia Lucero and Megan Brown; Seton's Julia Barcello and Anne Marie Holter; Hamilton's Kyndall Adams and Ashlee Moore; Boulder Creek's Darian Slaga; Mesquite's Ashley Alexander and Tolleson's Belma Ogbanga

Westview prevailed in dominating fashion at the Padres Tip-Off Classic hosted by Marcos de Niza. Westview knocked off host Marcos de Niza, 69-32, in the championship game. Westivew also defeated La Joya, Shadow Mountain, Peoria, Perry and Washington on the way to the title. Earlier last week Red Mountain's girls won the Greenway Inviational, knocking off Sunrise Mountain, 45-36. Erica Vasquez led Red Mountain with 18 points and Geneva Delgado added 12.

In boys tournament action, the Salpointe Tip-Off Classic concluded Saturday night at Salpointe with Red Mountain edging Nogales, 55-51, for the title. Travis Meeker scored 21 points and Sean Cahill and Andy Sessions added 10 points each for Red Mountain. Red Mountain posted a perfect 5-0 mark in the tournament. Nogales got 13 points from Andres Marquez in the loss.

Mesa High used a tip-in by Felipe Velazco with 12 seconds left in overtime to edge Gilbert High, 51-50, for the championship of the Fear the Hop Tournament at Jackrabbit Gym. Both teams finished the tournament 3-1. Christian Harris led Mesa with 13 points. Conner Helvig paced Gilbert with 17 points and teammate Anthony Bryant added 10. Corona del Sol knocked off Mountain Ridge for third place; Mesquite topped Hamiilton for fifth and Highland took down Agua Fria for seventh.

Poston Butte jumped to a big lead early and held on late to defeat Sahuaro, 75-71, to win the championship of the Catalina Hardwood Classic. The Broncos (5-0) got a 28-point performance in the title game from Jalen Richard. Andre Beardon led Sahuaro with 20 points. Dobson finished third by beating Cholla, Basha took fifth beating Ironwood Ridge and Catalina nabbed seventh knocking off Seton.

Another southern Arizona boys invite saw Shadow Mountain top Buena, 79-63. Keegan Hansen, the tournament's most vaulable player and  Carlos Johnson paced the Matadors to the title.