Mesa Mountain View High School (12-6) lost some games over the holidays in this year's VisitMesa.com Basketball Challenge - dropping three games to out-of-state opponents in the event.
The Toros would return to action in state - losing another home game to Red Mountain HS, 54-45.
Without the strong leadership of head coach Gary Ernst who is out with health issues (blood clot in his leg), Mountain View would turn to the direction of long-time assistant coach Jason Palmer. Under Palmer, Mountain View would win three games this week, including two blowout home wins over Mesa rivals - Skyline HS (62-30) and Mesa HS (53-34).
Friday evening, the Toros would hit the road and face a Brophy Prep (15-4) team that had won their last four games, again without the services of Ernst.
Mountain View, led by the play of 6-foot-6 senior forward Camyn Boone (Grand Canyon University signee) and talented 6-foot-8 sophomore post Payton Dastrup, would jump out to a 15-6 lead over host Brophy after the first period behind 9 first quarter points by Boone.
A three-pointer by Brophy's 6-foot-4 senior forward Jordan Medl with 1:48 left to play in the first half would narrow the Toros' lead, 23-18.
But Mountain View would get it going again in the final minute of the half. Mountain View would take a 28-18 halftime lead after a 35-foot desparation three-pointer at the halftime buzzer by sharp-shooting 6-foot-1 senior guard Mitch Wallace (younger brother of current UNLV guard Kendall Wallace).
In the second half, with Brophy's two top performers on the bench, 6-foot-4 senior guard/forward James Harper and 6-foot-9 junior post Tim Kempton, Mountain View's Dastrup would ignite. Three consecutive baskets by Dastrup, including a floater in the lane in transition, would provide the Toros with a 12-point advantage after three periods, 37-25.
Brophy would make one final run in the fourth period, and after a basket inside the paint by Kempton, Brophy would get back to within four points, 39-35, with 4:45 left to play in the game. Another offensive put-back by Brophy's Medl with 1:45 left to play would narrow the gap to 3 points - 42-39.
But a basket by Camyn Boone inside the paint and a breakaway monster, two handed dunk on the break by Dastrup would finish off a 50-41 road win for Mountain View.
Boone would lead Mountain View with a game-high 16 points, while Dastrup would contribute 11 points. Brophy was led by Jordan Medl's team-high 12 points.
