DIVISION III BOYS: Razor-thin Stars shake off foul trouble, win league title

Agassi Prep’s boys basketball team has little margin for error on defense.

With only seven active players on their roster, the Stars can’t afford to get into foul trouble while going for steals and trying to ignite their transition game.

On Saturday, Agassi Prep effectively tap danced around early foul issues while building a big lead and held on for a 66-58 win over The Meadows in the Division III Southern League final at Sunrise Mountain.

The Stars (24-1) and Mustangs (23-7) both advance to next week’s state tournament in Reno.

“That’s just coaching, teaching them to play without using their hands,” said Agassi Prep coach Trevor Diggs, whose team will make its fourth straight trip to the state tournament. “They’re doing a great job right now. Our bigs are playing straight up. Our guards are pressuring without fouling. That’s big for us.”

It didn’t hurt that Agassi Prep shot extremely well to start the game, making 8 of its first 10 shots to take a 19-4 lead on Stephan Laushaul’s transition basket with 54.5 seconds left in the first quarter.

Despite having starting post player Dennis Walker and reserve Wa’T Manor each collect two fouls in the first quarter, the Stars forced seven turnovers and turned them into 14 points in the quarter.

“Jumping out early was big for us,” Diggs said. “We came out and played really strong defensively, and that opened up deep patches in transition.”

Agassi Prep expanded the lead to 37-21 at the half and still led 58-45 with less than six minutes left in the game before the Mustangs began a fierce rally.

A four-point play by Ethan Fridman started an 8-0 run that brought The Meadows within 58-53 with 4:26 left.

“We knew Meadows wasn’t going to fold,” said Diggs, whose team swept its two regular-season meetings against the Mustangs. “They weren’t going to quit. We had to maintain our composure and make a free throw or two.”

The Stars did hit just enough free throws in the final four minutes — converting 6 of 14 from the line — to keep the Mustangs at bay.

Deishuan Booker led Agassi Prep with 19 points. Kobe Williams, Kenneth Hatano and Walker each scored 11, and Laushaul added 10 points for the Stars, who were effective in the paint.

Agassi Prep made 24 of 39 field-goal attempts (61.5 percent).

“We just want to take one game at a time,” Diggs said. “Beat the next team. That’s what I tell the guys. Just beat the next team.”

Eric Hirsberg scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the third quarter for The Meadows. Brian Fridman added 12 points, and Brandon Rufty and Jake Epstein each scored 10 for the Mustangs.