Even though only a tick more than two-thirds of the 2019-2020 sports season was completed, there were still a bunch of great moments/games for kids and teams I witnessed live.

Will roll out three or four every Monday for awhile:

1. Thatcher's Marleigh Nicholas makes a late, tie-breaking shot in the 2A girls hoops final vs. Camp Verde. Thatcher won, 51-50.

From my recap of the game:

The decisive basket came with 35 seconds left and score knotted at 48. Nicholas, a junior guard, was open left of the lane and quickly put up about a 12-foot jumper that swished.  That gave Thatcher the lead for good at 50-48. Six free throws - four by Wakefield (team-high 19 points) and two by Baldwin (12 points) aided in tying the game at 48. Baldwin added one more free throw for insurance with 13 seconds left.

"Marleigh didn't get many shots before that, "Griffin said. '"It was ice." 

Nicholas wasn't sure if the shot was going to fall when it left her hand. It was her only field goal of the game.

"I thought it was an air ball," Nicholas said. "It feels great it helped us win. I was worried in the last quarter."

2. Desert Vista's Osasere Ighodaro ends prep career with monster game and leads boys hoops team to 6A crown over Mountain Pointe.

 

From game recap:

The difference many nights this season for Desert Vista is its defender of the lane - the senior, Marquette-bound Ighodaro. The 6-foot-10 forward-post capped his career with 20 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots - those totals from the first half only.

He scored all 12 of the Thunder's points in the second quarter. By game's end the totals were a season-high 32 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. He made 14 of 16 shots as the Thunder as a team shot 60 percent. Several of his baskets came off assists from point guard Marcus Wady, who handed out 10 assists for the night.

"(Ighodaro) was incredible," Crump said. "This year he's reached the level I always thought he could." 

 

                                                                                     One of Ighodaro's baskets was this one from the perimeter in the first half. (AzPreps 365 photo)

 

 

3. Chaparral's 1-0 6A girls soccer semifinal victory over Desert Vista came via a goal with 10 seconds left in regulation. 

 

 I nearly missed seeing this goal as I reached for my clipboard figuring the teams were headed to overtime.

 

                                                                                       This picturesque goal by Chloe Steinhilber was off an assist from Madison Liebman (NFHS Network video).