When we last saw Amphiteater's boys basketball team in March the Panthers had wrapped up a brilliant 2011 season with a solid 4A-II title game victory over Tempe High.

Coach Ben Hurley likes to send his team against good teams and was willing to bring Amphi to Mesa for a weekend of play with some top teams in the big-school classifications.

The Panthers held their own and thensome in the first round, posting a 47-44 win over last year's 5A-I champs, Mesa Mountain View ,and following up with a 44-38 semifinal triumph over upstart Mountain Pointe at the first annual Mesa Summer Primetime Tournament at Red Mountain High School.

"Our whole goal coming here was to play against top competition," Hurley said after the Panthers withstood a late run to beat Mountain Pointe. "This kind of competition shows us where we are, and where we have to be  when the season starts."

Amphi gets another test Saturday morning at 11 at Red Mountain HS when it takes on Pinnacle for the tournament championship. Pinnacle edged Desert Vista in the semis, 55-53. Pinnacle beat Desert Mountain in its first game, 63-46. Desert Vista advanced to the semis beating Chaparral, 50-43.

Amphi overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Mountain View in its first game. The Panthers started fast in the semis, building an 8-0 lead and went to intermission on top 21-10. The lead remained steady much of the second half, but Mountain Pointe pecked away and pulled within 38-34 with two minutes to play.

A steal by Amphi's Tim Derksen, one of three key holdovers from last year's state title team, led to a basket. Amphi broke Mountain Pointe's press and got a couple easy baskets in the final minute to keep Mountain Pointe from scoring a second straight upset.

"Tim, Tony (Liilard) and Charles (Benson) did a nice job for us," Hurley said. "They play level-headed, and made the right decisions most of the game."

Benson and Lilllard tallied 14 points apiece and Derksen added nine.

Mountain Pointe coach Brian Fleming wasn't at all disappointed with his team. The Pride were a late substitution in the tournament for Westwind Prep, which pulled out Wednesday. As the No. 8  seed they drew top-seed Corona del Sol.

After falling behind by double-digits in the first half and trailing 30-19 at intermission, Mountain Pointe got a three-point play from post Kenny Lacy with six seconds left to provide  the impetus for a 51-48 win.

"That was a huge confidence builder for our guys," Fleming said. "Corona has a nice group. They have it inside and outside. They are quick and have bigs."

Corona had chances to put Mountain Pointe away down the stretch, but senior guard Calaen Robinson had a tough game from the free-throw line. Robinson missed five of six free throws. Four of those misses were worth two points each in the truncated-game format being used in the tournament.

Khari Holloway led Mountain Pointe with 19 points and Austin Witherill added 13 in the win over Corona. Sophomore Casey Benson led Corona with 15 points, 13 in the first half.

In loser's bracket games, Corona rebounded to edge Mountain View, 46-45, and  Desert Mountain knocked off Chaparral, 70-63.

The tournament schedule for Saturday, all games at Red Mountain HS, is as follows: 10 a.m. consolation -- Mountai View vs. Chaparral and Mountain Pointe vs. Desert Vista; 11 a.m. - Championship -- Amphi vs. Pinnacle; Consolation -- Corona del Sol vs. Desert Mountain. Four more consolation games TBD follow, two at noon and two at 1 p.m.