Corona hoops beats Brophy Prep, advances to semifinals
Photo Credit: Lilly Berkley
Preslie Hirsch, Editor-in-Chief
February 21, 2012
Filed under Game Recaps
No. 1 ranked Corona beat the No. 9 seeded Brophy College Preparatory, 69-54, tonight at Wells Fargo Arena at ASU in the quarterfinals, advancing the team to semifinals.
The starters came into the game with high-energy and their games faces on. Starters remained the same they have all season: sophomore Casey Benson, junior Brian Siefker, and seniors Calaen Robinson, Avery Moss and Andrus Peat. Robinson signed with Arizona State earlier in the academic year, competing on the same court tonight that he will in the fall as a Sun Devil.
Moss successfully retrieved the jump ball and Corona scored the first basket of the game: a 3-pointer by Benson. Moss got the rebound on Brophy’s side, scores two, giving the Aztecs a 5-0 lead within the first minute of the game.
Moss grabbed virtually every rebound from the Broncos. Within the first half of the game junior Braden Tennyson, senior Elijah Hempstead and freshman Cassius Peat came off the bench. The score was 34-25 Corona at the half.
The first play afer halftime, Robinson brought up the ball, dribbling around his back and making the layup, putting the score at 36-25. With only two minutes left in the third quarter and a few turnovers by the Aztecs, Corona held a 9-point lead. Andrus Peat‘s layup put Corona up by 11, followed by another successful layup by Robinson. Only 18 points overall were scored in the third quarter, putting the score at 44-33 Aztecs.
Corona came into the fourth quarter with high intensity, securing the score at 50 to 38 halfway through. Senior Jessie McCain came off the bench for a few minutes of play, before being replaced by Cassius Peat when the game became an 11-point match.
The team fouls were even at eight, Aztecs leading 56-42. Brophy came back with two successful shots, making it a 9-point game. The Broncos took a timeout, leaving them with only one more in the 2:55 more minutes of play. Benson took his time with the ball trying to run out the clock, was then fouled, successfully making both shots, putting the score at 61-47. The Broncos were quick on their feet offensively, trying to get points on the board. After almost constant fouls on the Aztecs, the Broncos switch out four of their five players on the court.
With one-and-half minutes left in the fourth quarter, Hempstead comes in for Andrus Peat. Junior Adam Gleave and senior Matthew Lemke come off the bench, and seniors Austin Millyard and Tyler Bolton shortly after. The score was 67-49 with less than a minute left and the Corona student section began to wave their hands in their blackout attire chanting “Nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey, good-bye.”
Junior Alex Van Ryswyk came off the bench and was immediately fouled, making both free throws. The Aztecs won 69-54.
Corona will play Desert Vista, seeded No. 5, at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale on Thursday at 7:45 p.m. The theme is a yellow-out.
