On Monday evening, after numerous games took place on the day, four teams would meet up in the semi-finals of this year's 2014 McClintock Holiday Shootout for the right to advance ot this year's tournament championship game.
In the first semi-final match-up of the evening, Basha High School (11-3) would face Westview. Westview (7-6) was coming off a big win over host McClintock, but would struggle, as many teams have, against the size and physical toughness of the Basha team. Westview would struggle scoring the basketball against Basha's defensive pressure, as Basha would jump out to a big 23-8 halftime lead.
Basha HS 6-foot-9 junior post Klay Stall (pictured), who is now playing the best basketball of his young career, would finish with 11 points and 7 rebounds in the game's first half. Stall would finish with a game-high 15 points in the 44-34 tournament win - a very low scoring affair. Basha has won 9 out of their last 10 games now on the season.
6-foot-1 junior point guard Kendall Barnes would also finish with a game-high 15 points in the loss.
Basha will now face their rival Perry High School in the tournament's championship game on Tuesday evening. Perry (11-1) held on to defeat Arcadia HS in the other semi-final game, 68-64.
Perry and Arcadia would both compete hard in their semi-final match-up, as Perry would jump out to a 34-25 first half lead behind a balanced attack - getting 11 points in the first half from 5-foot-11 sophomore guard Markus Howard (Arizona State commit) and also 6-foot-3 senior guard Coby De Laveaga.
Arizona State assistant coach Barrett Peery was on hand to catch his 2017 commit, Markus Howard, in action on the evening.
Arcadia would get strong play in the first half from 6-foot-4 senior forward Avonte Nelms, who would contribute a team-high 11 points in the first half. 6-foot-6 senior guard/forward Connor Nichols, who had 40 points in his team's quarterfinal win, would struggle from the field in the game's first half. Nichols would get it going in the third period, as he and Nelms would combine to lead the Arcadia attack. Perry would hold on to a narrow, 49-45 lead after the third period.
In the final minute of the game, with Arcadia charging and Perry holding on to a narrow lead, Markus Howard would travel the length of the floor, weaving in and out of defensive traffic, and finding 6-foot-5 junior post John Schlangen for an open layup to give Perry the win.
Howard would finish with a game-high 26 points in the win, while De Laveaga would contribute 17 points. Schlangen would also finish with 14 points.
Connor Nichols would finish with 22 points, while Avonte Nelms would finish with 21 points - combining for 43 of Arcadia's total 64 points.
