Playoff roundup: Valley boys eliminate Desert Oasis
Senior Elijah Flowers scored 24 points, and Valley recovered from a first-half deficit to earn a 70-60 road victory Saturday at Desert Oasis in the first round of the Class 4A Southern Region boys basketball playoffs.
The Vikings (10-16), the No. 3 seed from the Mountain League, now travel to face Desert League champion Somerset-Losee in the region quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Diamondbacks, the No. 2 seed from the Lake League, finish 13-8.
Kyndell Rooks added 14 points, and Jayshawn McKnight scored 12 points for Valley.
— No. 3L Canyon Springs 55, No. 2M Green Valley 46: At Green Valley, junior Armondo Lewis scored a game-high 23 points, and the Pioneers (14-13) survived a third-quarter run to defeat the Gators (10-10). Te’Shawn Spencer added eight points for Canyon Springs. The Pioneers play at Sky League champion Legacy at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
— No. 2S Cimarron-Memorial 70, No. 3D Clark 65: At Cimarron, junior Christian Cardona logged 16 points, five assists and four steals to help the Spartans (19-8) defeat the Chargers (14-8). Cardona nailed two key free throws in the final minute, followed by a steal, to seal the win. Gerald Patterson had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Geremiah Rone added 15 points for Cimarron-Memorial. The Spartans play at Mountain League champion Faith Lutheran at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Class 4A girls
— No. 3D Basic 55, No. 3S Valley 41: At Basic, senior Natasha Harrison scored a game-high 25 points to help the Wolves (11-11) recover from a slow start to beat the Vikings (14-11). Senior Braelynn Yakubik added 17 points, including three timely 3-pointers to help Basic take control in the third quarter. The Wolves play at Mountain League champion Sierra Vista at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
— No. 2D Canyon Springs 52, No. 4M Western 40: At Canyon Springs, junior Ariyanah Custard had 17 points and five steals and led an 8-0 third-quarter spurt that put the Pioneers (19-8) ahead of the Warriors (7-13) for good. Canyon Springs plays at Sky League No. 2 seed Somerset-Losee at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
— No. 4S Tech 55, No. 3M Rancho 51: At Rancho, senior Morgan Sweet had 23 points and 19 rebounds, helping the Roadrunners (13-15) take control midway through the fourth quarter against the Rams (12-10). Kaelie Pernyak added 12 points for Tech, and Claudia Arellano converted a key three-point play late to secure the win. Tech plays at Desert League champion Foothill at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
— No. 2M Cimarron-Memorial 69, No. 4D Del Sol 38: At Cimarron, freshman Jasmine Ponce collected 15 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and five steals, and the Spartans (17-6) rolled past the Dragons (13-7). Aryah Harris added 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Dazani Graham finished with 13 points and six assists for Cimarron-Memorial. The Spartans play at Sky League champion Legacy at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Contact Jeff Wollard at jwollard@reviewjournal.com