By It was a tale of 2 halves, as Mountain Pointe defeated Desert Ridge 63-40 in their 2nd pool play game of the Welcome to the Jungle Thanksgiving Tournament at Gilbert High. The first half belonged to Desert Ridge, but the Pride dominated the 2nd half to go to 2-0 on the season.
The “55” full court press, which has been the staple of the program, was nonexistent in the first half. Desert Ridge broke the press and had tons of open looks, capitalizing on most. Frustration mounted as the offense was sputtering as well. The Pride were down 22-30 at the half.
The second half was all MP, and “55” was in full effect. The press forced turnovers, rushed shots, and fatigue; causing Desert Ridge to lose offensive rhythm and control of the game. They ended the 3rd quarter with 3 points, and the Pride had taken the lead 43-33. “The boys needed a jump start at halftime,” Eason said. “Sometimes you gotta find the right buttons to push, and my staff and I did.” The 4th quarter was the same as the 3rd; Desert Ridge was only able to score 7 points, while MP netted another 20.
In was a team effort tonight, on both ends. John Norsworthy III led all scorers with 14 points. Jalen Graham and Khalid Price added 12.
Tomorrow night the Pride Boys play Pinnacle at 8pm. Come out and support the team.
Mountain Pointe Basketball 