Mesa Mountain View was left out of the preseason talk as one of Division I's top teams this season, but it's had to argue with the Toros' performance so far as top-10 squad.

Mountain View led from start to finish and executed well in all facets Tuesday night in dispatcing Desert Mountain, 70-46, at Toro Gym. Mountain View entered this contest one of four D-I unbeaten teams in power-ranking games (Corona, Desert Vista and Chaparral are the others) and was second overall in the rankings to No. 1 Corona del Sol. With Tuesday's victory the Toros are 12-4 overall and 8-0 prg. While Mountain View doesn't boast a marquee/household-name player, it has used unselfish play and found depth to offset that deficiency.

Mountain View coach Gary Ernst had little to not like about his team's latest triumph as everyone that played contributed something on the stat sheet.

"We were moving the ball on offense and hitting shots," Ernst said. "Defensively we got a few steasl and were able to get in transition some. It was a solid game."

Mountain View gradually built its lead -- 21-14 after one quarter and 34-20 at intermission. The margin was 53-29 after three periods. Offense revolved around point guard Tommy Kuhse and forward Trevin Crider. The pair combined for 22 points in the first half. Crider led Mountain View with 18 points and Kuhse had 17. Desert Mountain had one player in double figures -- junior guard Grant Fogerty. Fogerty finished with 15 points.

Nine players scored and five different players sank 3s for the Toros. Mountain View shot 50 percent from the field in the first half (10-of-20) and didn't miss a free throw (10-for-10). The teams were nearly perfect from the line as Desert Mountain finished 10-of-10 and Mountain View 13-of-14.

Desert Mountain managed to stay relatively close for about the first 12 minutes. The Wolves (8-10, 36 prg) tried to disrupt Mountain View with some zone presses as the first half wore on, but the Toros methodically solved those and continued to have success in the half-court. The Toros played for a final shot the last 30 seconds or so of the second period and ended up with a long, but open look for reserve Jayton Brown. Brown ripped the net for 3 at the buzzer for the Toros' biggest lead at the time.

"We've seen so many presses this year and I think we are getting better at handling them," Ernst said. "The work we've been getting dealing with those is starting to pay off."

Ernst has found through injury and occasionally illness that there is depth. It paid off again Tuesday. Junior center John Trendler has been out a couple weeks with an injury and senior Stockton Huish was bothered by illness in this one. Brown hit a pair of threes off the bench and Zane Jowaiszas, who has fluctuated as a starter and role player off the bench this year and last, scored all six of his points in the second period. Senior David Beecher, who played on the JV last year, started Tuesday and tallied 13 points.

Mountain View faces its toughest challenge to date on Thursday night among its power-ranking games. The Toros visit another Pinnacle, who is 8-1 in power-ranking game. Pinnacle staff was on hand scouting their next opponent.