Brophy Prep led 30-27 at halftime, and it was beginning to feel eerily similar to its last game against Basha, a three-point victory. But this game would end differently.

 “We knew what we needed to do to adjust on the defensive end, we needed to focus and lock in and we came out and did exactly that,” said senior guard Ian Burke.

The Broncos (19-1) outscored the Basha Bears 13-0 in the third quarter, giving them a comfortable 16-point lead going into the final quarter and extending their winning streak to seven with a 56-31 victory.

“We just talked about trying to make some adjustments in allowing dribble penetration in the middle, which was hurting us,” said coach Matt Hooten. “Fortunately in the second half we were able to keep them out of the paint.”

Senior forward Jaxson Baker added “That’s a good team we just played right there and we did a really good job defensively, in the locker room we knew that was the one thing we needed to change at halftime.”

Baker was a large contributor on both ends of the floor, providing 12 points and three blocked shots, along with a string of key defensive rebounds.

“On the defensive end I try to make my presence known down low both on the glass and blocking shots,” Baker said. “If I can affect their shots going to the basket that makes them hesitant to come in.”

The Brophy defense held Basha scoreless the entire second half until a foul at the 2:23 mark in the fourth quarter when Basha made two free throws. But Brophy already had the game all but won.

Always seeking improvement, Hooten said, “We actually fouled them on a jump shot, which is something we never want to do.”

Defense,however, was not the only impressive aspect of Brophy’s victory, the team combined for 19 assists. The ball movement allowed the Broncos to spread out Basha’s defense and provided wide open looks on many of their shots, as well as a multitude of high percentage inside shots.

Burke also played a key role in the Broncos victory, adding 16 points and an array of assists that kept the Basha defense on its toes.

“I just try to do what the defense gives me, some nights that scoring a lot of points, some nights that’s facilitating, getting in and kicking to my teammates,” Burke said.

He was also quick to praise his teammates .“I have a lot of guys on the team that are really good offensively and can make a lot of shots.”

The Broncos look to continue their win streak against the Central Bobcats Thursday.