It speaks volumes of a team when its leading scorer averaging a tad under 20 points a game scores just three points and his team still wins the state championship handily.

That  team Saturday afternoon was 2010 4A-II bridesmaid Amphitheater. The Panthers capped a brilliant 29-2 campaign with a more than decisive 87-77 boys basketball victory over Tempe High at Jobing.com Arena.

It's the first basketball championship in Amphi's history, the second oldeest school in Tucson behind Tucson High. Previously Amphi was in the final last year and back in 1949. Tempe (22-10) was also trying to win its first boys basketball title in an even longer school history. The Buffaloes last played in a final in 1990 losing to North.

Amphi, which lost on a last-second shot to Santa Rita in last year's final by two points, was not to be denied. Leading scorer Lester Medford, plagued by foul trouble in the first half, finished with three points. While he was on the floor , Medford was more than willing to distribute and had several takers in starting forward Tim Derksen and reserve guard Tony Liillard.

Derksen, a junior and one of several anguished players returning from last year's heartbreak final, scored a team-high 26 points. Derksen did a lot of his damage roaming the paint and crashing both boards. Lillard, who averaged just less than six points a game, tossed in 19 Saturday -- 16 in the first half. He finished burying five 3s among his 19 points. He entered the game a 6-for-55 marksman from 3-point range this season. Two other Amphi starters -- Charles Benson and Dominiek Banks finished with 12 points apiece.

"The week after we lost last year we went right back to the weight room and started getting ready for the season," Derksen said. "We knew then next year started right after that loss. It was and has been motivation for us."

As for Lillard, he was taken aback by his performance.

"I've been the worst shooter on the team," Lillard said. "I just got on a roll, and the shots started falling. I played my role."

The Panthers broke open a close game (20-17 Amphi after the first period) in the second period using a 23-7 advantage that put Tempe and its high-scoring standout Jordan Baker on an exhaustive defensive the rest of the way. Baker, who entered the game averaging 27 points a game, did his best to keep Tempe breathing with 36 points. But a 43-24 halftime deficit was too much for the Buffaloes to overcome given the depth and up-tempo game the Panthers play and thrive on.

"It was great to play a team like Tempe, I was happy to see them get there," Amphi coach Ben Hurley said. "They made a heck of run to get here. In the end with the pressure we present and our depth it's tough when we go on a run like we did to recover from it."

The game was not as close as the final margin of 10 points would indicate, Amphi led by 26 in the third period and by 18 to 20 most of the way in the second half. Still, there was no quit in Tempe, which saluted its fans as much as they saluted them throughout the game and afterward.

"We battled, never gave up, but the hole was a deep one," Tempe coach Bryan Snyder said. "The bottom line is they were the better team. Our kids played hard and demonstrated the spirit of Tempe High."