St. Gregory to take on Duncan for 1A boys title
by Raymond Suarez on Feb. 16, 2008, under Sports
St. Gregory's Tristan Kusman looks to pass while being guarded by Pima's Eric Legarda during the Class 1A boys basketball semifinal.
After a decadelong absence, the St. Gregory College Preparatory boys basketball team is heading back to the Class 1A state championship game.
The Hawks, who lost to St. David in the 1998 title game, beat Pima 55-36 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale in the 1A semifinals Friday night behind Blake Gephart’s 20 points, including five 3-pointers.
“It was his night,” said coach Paul Baranowski, who also coached St. Gregory to the 1998 game. “We’re fortunate to have a few different guys who can do it. We’re a very deep team.”
Adrian Jarvis scored 12 points for St. Gregory (32-3).
St. Gregory will play Duncan High at 3:15 p.m. in Monday’s championship game at Jobing.com Arena.
Duncan last played in a 1A title game in 2004 when it beat Joseph City.
Girls basketball
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy pulled out a win in dramatic fashion Friday night in the first round of the 2A state tournament.
Jessica Villerius hit a game-winning free throw with no time left to put the Lions, the three-time defending state champions, into the quarterfinals with a 42-41 victory over San Carlos.
With the score tied at 41 with one second left, Pusch Ridge inbounded the ball to Villerius, who was fouled while throwing up a quick shot from behind the 3-point arc.
She hit the game-winner on the first of what would have been three free-throw attempts.
“I’ve never heard noise like that before,” said coach Lonnie Tvrdy, referring to the large contingent of San Carlos fans who were in attendance at Phoenix North Canyon High.
“We had 15 fans at the game.”
Villerius finished with eight points and Hannah McLeod scored a team-high 11 points.
Pusch Ridge plays Camp Verde at Boulder Creek High at 5 p.m. Saturday in the quarterfinals.
Pusch Ridge entered the state tournament as the No. 5 team in the Arizona Interscholastic Association power rankings. Camp Verde is No. 2. “It’s rare that we go in as underdogs, but we’ll give them our best,” Tvrdy said.
The winner will likely play Phoenix Valley Christian, the No. 1-ranked team, in the semifinals at Glendale’s Jobing.com Arena at 9:45 a.m. Monday.
Valley Christian has beaten Pusch Ridge twice this season.
- Geoff Grammer contributed to this article.
For more musings on high school sports, check out the Grammer School sports blog.
