HOOPS NOTEBOOK: Nico Mannion, Cavinder Twins & BJ Burries

February 3, 2019 by Andy Morales, AZPreps365


Morenci Assistant Coach Dillon Ehrlich, Head Coach Patrick Hepper Jordan Leonard, John Olmsted, Assistant Coach Josh Olmsted (Courtesy Photo)

DESERT CHRISTIAN GIRLS ON WIN STREAK

 

As we wind down the regular season and head into February Frenzy, there are still a few players out there reaching important scoring milestones including Desert Christian senior Emma Blunk. Blunk came into her senior season with only 525 points to her name, in two years of work, and it was uncertain if she would be able to almost double that number to reach 1,000 in her last year but she reached that goal on the final day of the regular season by scoring 17 points to lead the Eagles past Valley Union 59-27.

Blunk has 1,005 career points and, more importantly, her team is now 18-8 (12-4 in power-ranking games) on the year and ranked No. 12 in the 2A Conference. The Eagles also claimed the second automatic playoff berth from the 2A South Region thanks to a better conference record than Globe. The Eagles are on an eight game win streak and this is the highest the team has been ranked since 2016 when the team went into the playoffs ranked No. 9.

Emma Blunk (Lori Tucker Photo)

 

DOUGLAS SENIOR IS ONE POINT AWAY

 

Douglas senior Ximena Iniguez is sitting at 999 career points with one more game left on the Bulldogs schedule. Douglas (13-11) is ranked No. 29 in the 4A Conference and No. 19 Palo Verde (14-11) comes into town on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

Iniguez’s teammate, Alondra Lugo, is a junior and she has 804 career points.

 

MORENCI DUO BREAK 1,000 ON SENIOR NIGHT

 

Morenci seniors Jordan Leonard and John Olmstead broke into the 1,000-point club during a 65-42 win over Tombstone Friday night. The win also gave Morenci (17-7, 14-3) an automatic playoff berth from the 2A East Region along with Thatcher (20-7, 13-3). Thatcher is ranked No. 4 and Morenci is No. 6.

More on Leonard and Olmstead HERE.

 

NICO MANNION CLOSING IN ON 2,000

 

University of Arizona commit Nico Mannion has 1,928 career points at Pinnacle (22-3). The reclassified senior might break 2,000 career points but it will be close. Had Mannion decided to play next year, there is little doubt he would have been the fourth player in Arizona history to break 3,000 career points.

Mannion’s total was boosted by 57 points against Chaparral in a 91-88 victory with Mannion hitting a game-winner at the buzzer.

Nico Mannion just scored 57 POINTS and hit the GAME WINNER 🚨 @niccolomannion pic.twitter.com/KbeyHmoH8w

— Overtime (@overtime) February 2, 2019

The Pioneers are the top-ranked team in the 6A Conference and the Pioneers will travel to No. 28 Boulder Creek (8-16) on Tuesday to end the regular season. The 6A First Round is scheduled for Feb. 14.

 

CAVINDER TWINS CLIMBING THE LADDER

 

Haley Cavinder scored 27 points on Friday to help lead Gilbert past Higley 67-15. In doing so, Haley broke into the top 20 with 2,152 career points and she needs 52 more to get into the top 15. Former Sierra Linda standout Janae Gonzales occupies that spot with 2,204 career points.

Gilbert (20-5) is ranked No. 2 in the 5A Conference with two more games left on Tigers’ regular season schedule. The 4A first round is slated for Feb. 13.

Hanna Cavinder has 2,052 career points, 100 away from the top 20 in the history of Arizona.

 

BURRIES PUTTING SCORING RECORD OUT OF REACH

 

Robert “BJ” Burries, Globe is now at 3,315 career points for Globe putting him 159 points ahead of the state record heading into the playoffs. The Tigers are ranked No. 3 in the 2A Conference with the first round scheduled for Friday, Feb. 15 in the Prescott area.

 

NELSON & CLARK CUTTING IT CLOSE

 

Salpointe junior Evan Nelson has 925 career point and Pusch Ridge senior Jared Clark has 903. Both standouts might need a few playoff games to break 1,000, although Nelson still has another year left.

Salpointe (23-2) is currently No. 3 in the 4A Conference with two games left in the regular season and Pusch Ridge (21-4) is ranked No. 5 in the 3A Conference with two games left before the playoffs start.