Boys hoops: Mtn. View bests Corona del Sol, 52-45

November 28, 2017 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Mountain View's Adam Pierce (44) fires off a 3-point shot in Tuesday's 52-45 victory over CDS. (AzPreps365 photo)

It was a much tougher get for Mesa Mountain View Tuesday night than it was Monday night in its opener against Highland. The Toros faced a much quicker team across the board and it caused them problems more often than not.

But Mountain View had enouigh left in the final three minutes to outlast visiting Corona del Sol, 52-45, in a 6A boys basketball game at Toro Gym.

Mountain View improved to 2-0 with the back-to-back power-ranking wins. Corona del Sol dropped to 3-2 overall and competed in its first power-ranking game of the season.

"Their quickness and pressure was on us all night," Mountain View coach Gary Ernst said. "We had some good streaks, but then we'd turn the ball over and lose what we gained. I think that first game was kind of emotional. We came out a little flat, and really had to battle all night."

It was a big game offensively for a pair of Mountain View seniors -- forward Adam Pierce and guard Kaleb Doka. Pierce clocked in with a game-high 24 points, including eight of those in the final quarter. He made 4-of-4 free throws in the final 32 seconds while Doka added two more to extend a one-point lead to the final margin of seven. Doka chipped in with 11 points, eight in the fourth quarter.

Corona del Sol, regrouping this season after a cavalcade of Division I prospects filed through on the way to college, fielded three seasoned varsity players in Dalen Terry, Melek Alexander and Eric Blackwell. Blackwell and Terry are sophomores. Blackwell paced the Aztecs with 16 points and Terry added 12. The Aztecs opened the season competing in Mesa High's Fear the Hop Invite and won three of four. The Aztecs defeated Mountain Ridge, Skyline and Highland and lost to tourney runner-up Hamilton.