Central High School Summer League top performers: Sunrise Mountain vs. Saguaro
The Sunrise Mountain High School basketball team dominated Saguaro High School from the jump ball for a 47-25 victory in the Phoenix Central High School Summer League on June 6, utilizing quick ball movement and a much taller and longer roster for easy baskets.
Here are five of the game’s top performers:
Sunrise Mountain Mustangs:
- Grant Bell
The rising senior was a catalyst for the Mustangs the entire game, serving as a solid rim protector and getting in position to box out for rebounds on both ends. On offense, he was able to consistently get into the paint, while keeping the defense honest with a few key jumpers from the corners.
- Jake Mattson
The shooting guard/small forward shot the ball well from outside, allowing for space for his teammates. Though he was hitting a majority of his shots, he never seemed to force anything, as all of his shots came within the flow of the offense.
- John Malamas
The Mustangs scored several transition points when their big men rebounded on the defensive end, and much of that credit goes to Malamas, who always looked for the outlet pass off rebounds and got his teammates involved with a few dimes for easy lay ups.
Saguaro Sabercats:
- Kyler Mikkelsen
Saguaro was significantly undersized in this contest, but the rising senior forward battled all 40 minutes, hitting open jumpers and drawing fouls on offense. He also provided the game’s highlight, an emphatic block in the second half while Sunrise Mountain’s Bell looked to be wide open for a lay up.
- Ken Fukuda
Though his teammates other than Mikkelsen had a tough time hitting shots, and the Saguaro defense offered little space in the paint, Fukuda did everything he could to move the ball to other Sabercats on offense. He used his strength and quickness to get into the paint, and, despite a poke in the eye in the second half, drew a few fouls and zipped out several nice passes to open teammates.