Saints stay hot, defeat Agassi Prep
Mountain View boys basketball coach Ray LeBoeuf is the first to admit his players lacked full trust in one another to start the season, regularly citing a loss to Calvary Chapel in the team’s conference opener on Dec. 8.
The longtime Saints coach needn’t worry any longer, as his team is fully gelling at the right time.
Mountain View secured its fifth-straight Division III Southern League win Saturday after rallying at home to defeat two-time defending-league champion Agassi Prep 56-40.
“That game could have gone either way,” LeBoeuf said. “Our kids trusted the process, trusted what the game plan was and trusted each other. They stayed within themselves. … Every game, I think we have a possibility of going in and competing. We have a game plan, and we try to compete and see what happens.”
Midway through the fourth quarter and with the game tied at 34, Mountain View senior Tevin Gray sparked a 7-2 run that proved to be the difference. Gray connected on a long 3-pointer from the top of the key and then assisted on Tyrell Brooks’ 3-pointer to put the Saints up 41-36 with 2:58 to go.
Gray, who scored 17 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter, got double-teamed in the lane before he kicked the ball out to Brooks, who had just three points at the time and was severely struggling from the field. LeBoeuf believes that play shows just how far his team has come.
“The 3-pointer by Tyrell was a big separator in the game overall,” LeBoeuf said. “Tyrell’s been struggling a little bit and fouling out of games. But they trusted each other, and Tyrell trusted himself. When Tevin made that pass, he didn’t try to overplay it. He showed senior leadership.”
Brooks 3-pointer shifted momentum and highlighted Mountain View’s 22-6 run to close out the game. Right after the shot, Agassi Prep coach Trevor Diggs was called for a technical foul, and Gray made both free throws to put the Saints up 43-36 with 2:44 remaining.
Agassi Prep failed to score again until the 1:30 mark and began intentionally fouling.
Despite playing most of the fourth quarter with four fouls, Gray made 10 of 12 free throws in the quarter. He also finished with five rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the Saints (9-5, 5-1).
“He took control of the game,” LeBoeuf said. “He also played with four fouls. He came up and told me, ‘Don’t worry. I got this.’ He played under control.”
Terrence Brooks had 14 points, and Bernard Williams pulled down 11 rebounds for Mountain View, which trailed 31-29 heading into the fourth quarter. The Saints created 12 turnovers and limited Agassi Prep to five field goals in the second half.
Akeemis Williams scored 14 points to lead Agassi Prep (7-3, 4-2).
Daniel Plummer added nine points, and teammate Jared Holmes had 11 rebounds for the Stars.
Contact reporter Ashton Ferguson at aferguson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0430. Follow him on Twitter: @af_ferguson