MHS boys’ basketball team nets 10th straight victory (video)

With a comeback win over a tough conference opponent and a dominating performance against a winless team, the Maricopa High School boys’ basketball team extended their winning streak to 10 games.

The Rams are 16-6 overall and 4-1 in section play.

“We don’t take any opponent lightly,” head coach Jacob Neill said. “Prepare to play no matter what.”

Tuesday, Maricopa defeated Scottsdale Prep Academy on the road, 58-51. The Spartans have been playing just under .500 ball this season and ran off with a 22-7 lead in the first quarter.

The Rams answered by outscoring SPA 19-9 to trail by 5 at the half, and repeated that feat in the third quarter to take a lead they would not relinquish.

Sophomore Josh Johnson led MHS with 23 points. He also led in steals with five and assists with three. Senior Johnny Johnson Jr. scored 15 points. Senior Tommy Jensen marked his return with 10 points. Sophomore El Jones grabbed seven rebounds.

“We’re coming together,” Neill said. “We were short on guys, and guys were playing a lot of minutes. As you get to the end of the season, you don’t necessarily want guys playing a ton of minutes. It’s starting to get where we are solidifying our rotation, and guys can go in and get breathers. We’re starting to be a deep basketball team, which is nice going into the last two weeks of the regular season.”

Thursday, Maricopa hosted the 0-12 Veritas Prep Falcons. Neill liberally used his bench throughout the game in the 80-15 victory. Veritas scored only two points in the second half.

Josh Johnson led the scoring with 29 points, shooting 76 percent from the field. He also had a team-high 11 assists and seven steals. Johnny Johnson scored 19 points, 17 in the first half, and led the rebounding with six. Senior Isaiah Soriano scored 12 points on four 3-pointers in the first half.

“Tonight was just another win,” Neill said. “It’s 10 games now, and it’s pretty exciting. Every win we get just helps us a little bit more and a little bit more toward reaching our goal of qualifying for the state tournament.”

MHS 10th win in a row

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