THE WATCHLIST: South Mountain scores 60+, Tempe handles homecourt, and Coronado clutches all in Game 3

Rei Tedoco
Jun 13
2 min read

Reporter: Rei Tedoco

Tempe, Ariz.- Barriers are being broken for the underclassmen basketball league hosted at Tempe High School and some schools are setting new records in the summer league.

Game three, played on June 12th, amplified new attitudes and stand-out performances by multiple squads. Tempe faced off against Skyline with key plays to move them through the court.

Tempe’s duo, Isaiah Smith and Avery Murphy, are stand-out leaders on the team. Murphy’s stacked on offense with 12 points in the game and Smith demands on the defensive end.

“With Avery and I’s communication on the court, we get it on the fly. You feel me? We have this chemistry, whole time. When me and Avery step on the court, you already know what’s up,” Smith said. This duo is one to watch for and has helped bridge their team’s confidence on the court.

Murphy’s an incoming freshman to Tempe, and Smith returns from last season’s roster. These two will look to help their team move forward in the league with three games remaining.

Tempe took the game win, 61-to-36. The largest point differential in the tournament by far. The group has players who stay conditioned to back each other up, shoot threes, and balance offense and defense.

Another groundbreaking game was South Mountain’s victory over Marcos de Niza High School. The most points in the tournament were attributed to South Mountain, which won 63-to-40.

South Mountain’s stand-out, BJ Butler, drives his team with leadership and his passion for the sport. A trusted player on South Mountain, Butler’s 14 points in three quarters added to their win. His teammates, Keontae Davis and Jayden Dixon, combined to collect 24 points. These three have shown South Mountain’s spirit and plan to continue proving why they deserve to showcase their talents.

The last game for the night was Coronado versus Skyline. A tight match in the first two quarters for both teams. In the first half, Skyline was at 13 points and Coronado at 18 points. Coronado locked in the second half and takes the game win, 41-to- 34.

These players will take a break on Tuesday and return to Tempe High School for another set of games starting at 5 p.m. Tempe will play Marcos de Niza, and Skyline’s squads will face up against Coronado and South Mountain.