- Salpointe Catholic pulled away from Rincon/University in the fourth quarter for a 67-52 win, in a game that was back-and-forth for the first three frames. The Lancers trailed the Rangers 17-10 after the first quarter thanks to the shooting of senior guard Estevan Sandoval, who had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting at the end of the quarter. The teams were tied 30-30 at halftime, as Salpointe shot 9-of-15 from the field. Senior point guard Isaac Cruz and sophomore stud Majok Deng each had 10 points at the break. Deng continued scoring to give him 18 points to finish the third quarter. The Lancers (14-7) eventually pulled away in the final quarter as the Rangers made just two shots in the fourth quarter. Rincon (9-15) coach Rich Utter does such a good job with limiting his teams mental mistakes, the Rangers just didn't have the horses to finish this one. Coming into the game, Salpointe was No. 3 in the AIA's 4A rankings and Rincon was No. 28 in 6A. Rincon is a confusing team, as they beat Sunnyside earlier in the season, but lost to Canyon del Oro this week.
- Sandoval started off hot, draining two deep three-pointers in the opening minute, but after his quick 10 points in the first quarter, Sandoval couldn't buy a bucket. He finished 6-of-15 from the field, for 18 points, with his remaining points coming in the second half. Could tighten his handle, and is a little on the short side (listed at 6-0), but Sandoval could make a roster spot on an NAIA squad because of his shooting ability and range.
- Senior guard Christian Bahige scored 14 points, with most of them coming on pull-jumpers and layups. Bahige plays big for his size, pulling down rebounds and playing solid defense. A smart player on the court, often directing traffic for his teammates. He's long, athletic and can run.
- Deng, finished with a game-high 27 points, and sat out the last 3:40 because he was accidentally kicked in the groin area, and Salpointe had the game in hand. Deng made his first five shots of the game and missed just two shots in the game as he was 10-of-12 from the field and knocked down 7-of-7 free-throws as well. It was a very efficient night for Deng, as UA head coach Sean Miller was in the crowd, watching his sons Cameron and Brayden play.
- Cruz and Miller struggled with their shots in the second half, but combined for 23 points. The duo can hit an open three-pointer, and drive and finish in the lane. Both can draw contact with ease, resulting in trips to the charity stripe. Will be fun to watch and see which Salpointe team will show up in the playoffs, when facing tougher competition.
- Junior wing Rylan O'Brien again struggled from the field, shooting 1-of-8, including 1-of-6 from downtown. He's getting good looks, just some shots are bouncing off the iron or, on some occasions, falling short. O'Brien doesn't draw many fouls, as he's mainly a jump shooter. Will be looking to see what he works on in the Spring and Summer while playing for Compton Magic's B-team, as he should come back next season more well-rounded.
- Sophomore big Julien Whetton needs more minutes for Salpointe. Whetton scored a team-high 14 points in its close win over Sahuaro at the MLK Classic. He can step out from three-point range to hit them with consistency, and can take his man off the dribble with his size. With senior Jackson Breshears likely out for the season, Whetton would give them some much needed production from its bigs, and provide more spacing and another scorer on the court for the Lancers.
- Sandoval started off hot, draining two deep three-pointers in the opening minute, but after his quick 10 points in the first quarter, Sandoval couldn't buy a bucket. He finished 6-of-15 from the field, for 18 points, with his remaining points coming in the second half. Could tighten his handle, and is a little on the short side (listed at 6-0), but Sandoval could make a roster spot on an NAIA squad because of his shooting ability and range.
- Senior guard Christian Bahige scored 14 points, with most of them coming on pull-jumpers and layups. Bahige plays big for his size, pulling down rebounds and playing solid defense. A smart player on the court, often directing traffic for his teammates. He's long, athletic and can run.
- Deng, finished with a game-high 27 points, and sat out the last 3:40 because he was accidentally kicked in the groin area, and Salpointe had the game in hand. Deng made his first five shots of the game and missed just two shots in the game as he was 10-of-12 from the field and knocked down 7-of-7 free-throws as well. It was a very efficient night for Deng, as UA head coach Sean Miller was in the crowd, watching his sons Cameron and Brayden play.
- Cruz and Miller struggled with their shots in the second half, but combined for 23 points. The duo can hit an open three-pointer, and drive and finish in the lane. Both can draw contact with ease, resulting in trips to the charity stripe. Will be fun to watch and see which Salpointe team will show up in the playoffs, when facing tougher competition.
- Junior wing Rylan O'Brien again struggled from the field, shooting 1-of-8, including 1-of-6 from downtown. He's getting good looks, just some shots are bouncing off the iron or, on some occasions, falling short. O'Brien doesn't draw many fouls, as he's mainly a jump shooter. Will be looking to see what he works on in the Spring and Summer while playing for Compton Magic's B-team, as he should come back next season more well-rounded.
- Sophomore big Julien Whetton needs more minutes for Salpointe. Whetton scored a team-high 14 points in its close win over Sahuaro at the MLK Classic. He can step out from three-point range to hit them with consistency, and can take his man off the dribble with his size. With senior Jackson Breshears likely out for the season, Whetton would give them some much needed production from its bigs, and provide more spacing and another scorer on the court for the Lancers.
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