2A BOYS: Season of firsts continues for Agassi

In a season full of firsts for the Agassi Prep boys basketball team, the Stars managed yet another on Friday.

First Class 2A state championship game appearance.

Sophomore center Quincy Brown had a big second half as Agassi Prep pounded Rite of Passage 68-51 at Sierra Vista High School in the state semifinals.

The Stars (17-10), in the NIAA playoffs for the first time after playing an independent schedule last season, will face Needles at 5 p.m. today at the Orleans Arena in the title game.

Agassi Prep opened the season 3-6 but has won five games in a row and eight of nine.

“It’s a dream come true to get to Orleans,” Agassi Prep coach David Claerbaut said. “The kids really came together down the stretch.”

Brown picked up his second foul with 3:33 left in the first quarter and sat the rest of the half. But he returned after the break and scored 16 of his 18 points, including a baseline jumper that gave the Stars a 59-43 lead with 2:45 left.

“Getting the ball to Quincy is the key to our offense,” Claerbaut said. “... When he’s in the game, we get mismatches.”

DeShawn Battle scored all 13 of his points in the first half, and Jacoby Whitehead had all nine of his points in the second quarter for Agassi Prep.

Battle had a steal and dunk late in the first quarter to put the Stars ahead 21-12, and Areontay Shepherd’s three-point play late in the second quarter put Agassi Prep up 33-19. Rite of Passage (14-16) got as close as 39-32 before Brown hit back-to-back jumpers that gave the Stars a 45-35 lead after the third quarter.

Needles (Calif.) 66, Incline 57 — Darra Russell had 33 points, including 19 in the second half, to lift the Mustangs (30-6).

Needles led 46-44 at the end of the third quarter before opening the fourth on a 7-0 run. The Highlanders (22-9) closed within 55-52 on a 3-pointer by Eric Baumann before Russell answered with a 3-pointer, then fed Aaron Burns for a layup that put the Mustangs up 60-52.

Michael Hill scored 12 points and Stevie Kidd 11 for Needles. Joshua Dykstra had 13 points and Micha Corneil 12 for Incline.