Team play allows Peoria to hold off Dysart

It's fitting that Peoria boys basketball's best team effort in the past month came Tuesday night against Dysart.

After all, it was these same Demons that exposed cracks in Peoria's defense and unity on Jan. 8, handing the Panthers their first legion loss and sending them on a three-game skid.

In the rematch at its home gym, Peoria (15-9, 9-3 West Valley Region) greatly improved its defense and came up with just enough long-range shooting, second-chance points and free-throw accuracy to keep Dysart (15-6, 7-3) at bay, winning 49-45.

"Everybody just kind of decided 'OK I'm not going to worry about getting my shots. I'm not going to worry about getting credit. I'm just going to go out and play,'" Peoria coach Ken Troutt said. "Hopefully it's a turn the corner game in that we understand that if we don't play together, Copper Canyon game happens. When we do play together, Dysart game happens."

The Panthers jumped out to a 13-8 lead in the first quarter, but watched the Demons reverse the tally in the second quarter, tying the game at 21 just before halftime. Dysart junior forward Alex Brown came off the bench to lead the comeback, pumping in nine points.

Junior guard Pierre Jones gave the visitors their first lead early in the third quarter, but it was short lived thanks to Peoria's unusually good outside shooting. Senior forward Justin Perez made a pair of three-point shots in the quarter and senior forward Japhet Niyizigama nailed a third trey to give the Panthers a five-point lead.

Peoria maintained this advantage to the end of the quarter, mostly with its active halfcourt defense.

"Honestly, their pressure was a lot better than it was last time. Defensively, they were doing a lot of things to frustrate our offensive flow, and we really couldn't get on track offensively at all," Dysart coach John Eberlein said. "They were definitely hot from the outside, especially in the first half."

The fourth quarter would feature more Dysart frustration - the Demons missed several opportunities and couldn't get closer than three points away for the rest of the contest. Senior guard Marcos Herrera and Brown both made the front end of their free throws, but missed the second shot.

Peoria sophomore point guard Dewayne Russell restored the five-point advantage by making both of his free throws. Dysart senior forward Bryce Jones answered with two of his own from the charity stripe.

Russell drove for a layup. Dysart senior center Chris Heren responded inside. Russell slalomed through the zone defense for another layup. The Demons missed some point-blank chances, and Peoria grabbed the rebound and called a time out with 3:07 remaining.

The Panthers bled nearly a minute off the clock before Russell attacked again. This time, the 6-7 Heren blocked him, only to have junior guard Gerrick Burns grab the loose ball. Burns was fouled and made one of two free throws. Pierre Jones did the same at the other end.

Niyizigama missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Dysart couldn't capitalize. Russell made one of two foul shots to push the lead to 48-42 at the 50-second mark. In a role reversal, Perez blocked Dysart senior Ricardo Aroz on his drive to the basket, but the Demons got the ball back.

Shortly after the inbounds play, Herrera drilled a 30-foot shot to bring his team within three. Peoria senior forward Javonte Fluellen finished the scoring by making one of his two free throws.

"I feel like we played well enough to win the game defensively," Eberlein said. "Offensively, we just couldn't get baskets to fall. We had a lot of opportunities down low with two, three or four chances at the basket. Our effort was there. We kept battling, but we couldn't quite get over that hump."

All the minor opportunities missed by Dysart added up to a major one. The Demons lost a chance to knock Peoria out of the region title chase, and the opportunity to make Friday's game with Sunrise Mountain (13-10, 7-3) a winner-take-all West Valley showdown.

Different Demons had their bursts of offense - Brown, Heren and Hererra tied for the team lead with 10 points apiece - but all three had the chance for more points slip away. Heren  added nine rebounds and three blocks and was Dysart's most consistent force.

Eberlein said he's glad the team plays at home against Verrado Wednesday, so it can turn the page. Dysart handles adversity well - the team hasn't lost two consecutive games all year.

"I'm kind of glad we get back on the floor so we can't dwell on this loss," Eberlein said. "We have to refocus for tomorrow's game. I really think the kids will."

Peoria knows the feeling. The Panthers could have made the Dysart game a de facto region title matchup. Instead, Glendale Copper Canyon (5-14, 2-8) embarrassed Peoria Friday on its home floor, grabbing a 27-point lead and coasting to a 70-53 victory.

"We had a total team collapse against Copper Canyon," Troutt said. "And then we had a Dumpster fire here in the locker room after the game. The players were arguing and bickering. Players had to be separated from each other, that kind of thing. It was just a total meltdown."

Instead of practicing Monday, the team gathered and only the coaches spoke.

"We think we got our point across. Basically, what our mantra now is - team success can best be achieved when no one cares about who gets credit," Troutt said. "We had a lot of credit grabbers. And it peaked Friday."

Senior forward Haisaun Saunders was suspended for the Dysart game for violating team rules.

"It was more of an attention-getter in his case, because of some of the factions and things that were going on," Troutt said. "He took his one-game suspension like a man and he'll be welcomed back."

Russell, as usual, lead the Panthers with 19 points. Perez, normally a wing player, helped fill the void on the interior caused by Saunders' suspension, grabbing five rebounds to go along with his 11 points.

"He had to be in there rebounding more. He was having to guard guys bigger than him and really get in there and try to compete, and I thought he did a great job of that," Troutt said. "Justin would be our unsung hero in that he usually guards one of the the tougher defensive assignments and he plays multiple roles on the team (four positions). We ask a lot of him."