Booker fuels Agassi Prep rally

Rancho coach Ronald Childress pleaded with his players for help-side defense in covering Agassi Prep standout Deishuan Booker during the third quarter Monday night. He even adjusted to a box-and-one defense late, trying to prevent Booker from beating his team.

Though the plan appeared to be working, as the Rams built a 14-point lead with six minutes to go in the game, star players only can be slowed for so long.

Booker scored 14 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter to help the Stars rally for a 67-64 win over the host Rams.

“When I had the ball, I was just thinking ‘win,’ ” Booker said. “We had to make plays. There was no time for mistakes at all. I was thinking perfection. I didn’t want to lose at all, so I just tried to do everything to get my team fired up.”

Booker was 13 of 15 from the free-throw line, including 9 of 11 in the fourth quarter, to help the Stars rally. He also had six rebounds and five assists.

“A coach always thinks he’s going to come back (and win),” Agassi Prep coach Trevor Diggs said. “I don’t ever think, ‘We’re going to lose.’ This game showed a lot of character.”

Booker hit four free throws in the final two minutes and added a key assist to Dennis Walker to give Agassi Prep a 66-62 lead with 20 seconds to go.

Rancho had a chance to send the game into overtime but missed a 3-pointer.

“Deishuan is the best point guard in Vegas,” Diggs said. “We are always going to lean on him.”

Walker added 11 rebounds, nine points and three blocked shots, Kenneth Hatano netted nine points, and Kobe Williams had seven rebounds and three assists for the Stars (14-0).

Rancho’s David McKeever scored 19 of his 24 points in the first half for Rancho (10-8). McKeever hit five 3-pointers in the first half, and the game was tied at 33 at the break.

Despite missing most of the first half with foul trouble, Lamont Traylor totaled 14 points and 10 points, and Chrys Jackson had eight points, five rebounds and five assists for the Rams.

“We just didn’t take care of business,” Childress said. “That kid (Booker) always gets 15 of his points at the foul line. We didn’t play smart defensively.”

Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson.