5A girls basketball semis preview

February 26, 2020 by Jose Garcia, AZPreps365


Peoria Sunrise Mountain is in the Final Four for the first time since 2001. Photo by Mark Jones/maxpreps.com

State semifinal Wednesday schedule and broadcast details. 

No. 2 Sunrise Mountain (24-3) vs. No. 3 Cactus Shadows (27-3): Cactus Shadows bounced back after 14-13 and 14-15 campaigns the last two seasons. In 2017, it reached the Class 4A title game. Cactus Shadows and Sunrise Mountain both carry a 5A best 14-game win streaks. They met on Nov. 29 in the Moon Valley Tournament, with Cactus Shadows winning 52-42. In that game, Cactus Shadows made 16 of its 19 free throws while Sunrise Mountain only converted 7 of its 16 charity stripe attempts and shot 33 percent from the field. Brooke Rodgers (10.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and junior Ella Schott (8.3 ppg, 5.9 rbpg) are Cactus Shadows’ scoring and rebound leaders. Cactus Shadows might only have one player averaging double figures in points, but, at 57.7 points per game, it’s the second highest scoring team in 5A this season and has made the second most free throws in the state. Six of the Cave Creek squad’s players are averaging 6.2 points per game or more. Rodgers, captain Hailey Garalczyk and Sabrina Lazo (state high 15 charges taken) are the only seniors listed on the team’s roster. … Sunrise Mountain senior forward Teryn Demaree (10.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.8 blocks per game) and senior guard Sydney Bickel (8 ppg, 45 FG%, 4.6 rpg, team-high 3.6 steals per game) are the team’s captains. “They anchor our team night to night,” coach Jennifer Tolle said. “Regardless of the circumstance they bring a focused intensity that the other players on our team feed off.” The team has six players averaging 5.7 points per game or more. “Our biggest strength as a team is that we have a number of players who are able to score big on any given night,” Tolle said. “Everyone has made a meaningful contribution this season.” The program won its region for the second consecutive season after not winning it the previous 14 seasons. Last year, Sunrise Mountain reached the state quarterfinals. Its best showing at state before that was a Final Four appearance in 2001. Freshman Mackenzie Dunham leads the team in rebounds with 8.9 per game, and Junior Julie Diveney has made 68 threes. Sunrise Mountain is averaging 13.6 assists per game. Three of the team’s players are multi-sport athletes, Aliya Garrett, Jenna Majewski and Bickel, who committed to the University of Louisville to play softball.

Gilbert, in white, and Millennium know each other very well. Photo by Dave Smith/maxpreps.com.

No. 1 Millennium (24-4) vs. No. 4 Gilbert (23-6):  When this season started, nobody other than Gilbert probably expected the Tigers to reach the semifinals again because of the floor and bench leadership they lost after last year. But new coach Dennis Carter and floor generals kept the Tigers roaring and soaring this season. Gilbert’s leaders this season are the only seniors on the roster, point guard A.J. Benavides-Johns and forwards Leah Millan and Kori Jackson. “A.J. is a student-athlete, hard-worker, strong shooter and ball handler and a solid guard. Leah is also a student athlete, has strong communication skills and is intense. She’s also competitive, a strong rebounder, and a winner. Kori as well is a student-athlete. She has strong communication skills and is a strong shooter and impact player.” Before the state tournament started, Benavides-Johnson was averaging 13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 3 assists per game. Millman had a 10.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 2.1 assists per game average. Jackson was at 10.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 1.7 assists per game. “Their teamwork and love for each other,” said Carter about what he is most proud of. “They are a tight-knit team that collectively accomplished more than was projected of them.

“We would not be where we are without my solid coaching staff of Trevin Wade, Kylie Mach and Nikia Edom.” Gilbert and Millennium know each other well, having played in last year’s 5A final. They also met about about two weeks ago. … Defending champ Millennium notched a 50-36 victory in that February game and defeated Gilbert in last year’s 5A title tilt 66-40. Senior Alexandra Zelaya posted one of her 11 double-doubles, 23 points and 11 rebounds, this season in the victory over Gilbert this month. Zelaya is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 19 points and nine boards per game. Trayana Crisp is the team’s second leading scorer at 15.1 per game. Co-captain Jasmine Singleton, a UNLV commit, has been the team’s starting point guard the last four years. “All three of those players lead in very different ways,” coach Courtland Rojeck said. “Ali and Jas have the experience and senior leadership that makes teams better. Ali has really become more vocal on and off the court this year and has become a player that we lean on offensively a lot. Jasmine (4.1 assists, 4.6 steals per game) has always been the rock of our defense. Whatever job we ask of her, she gets it done. Trayanna, who is only a sophomore, leads with her style of play and the energy she gives our team. Tray has the ability to change the tempo of a game in a second and that really energizes the girls.” At 67.8 points per game, Millennium is the highest scoring big school team this season. This was the 10th consecutive trip to the playoffs and fifth Final Four appearance for Millennium in the past 10 years. “One thing I am really proud of with this team is its ability to carry on the tradition of success that has been building in this program,” Rojeck said. “After winning the state championship last year, we graduated a really big and talented senior class.

“After losing a great group of seniors, and coming off a state title, many teams may have become complacent, but not this group. They have embraced the message that everything must be earned, and what we did last year doesn't guarantee us anything this year.”