It was a rematch of an earlier season meeting between #1 seed Mesa Mountain View and #8 seed Chandler HS.
In a previous meeting this season, Chandler (23-6) blew out top-ranked Mesa Mountain View on the Toros' home floor. This game would prove to be much different as Mountain View came out very focused, behind the play of Arizona State signee, 5-foot-9 senior guard Arnecia Hawkins. Playing on the home floor of her future college home, Hawkins would blow up for a game-high 26 points in the victory.
Chandler would jump out early behind the play of University of Arizona signee, senior guard Simone Westbrook. Westbrook had committed initially to Arizona State, before choosing to land with the Wildcats. Westbrook would drive hard to the basket and often in the first period - giving her team a quick 9-5 lead.
A three-pointer from Arnecia Hawkins, and then another three-pointer from her sister, talented 5-foot-9 freshman guard Armani Hawkins, and the Toros would tie the game at 13 all in the first period.
Chandler would take an 18-15 lead into the second period.
Chandler would keep it going early in the second period. A steal and a layup by senior point guard Dezirae Elias, and then a strong layup in transition by Westbrook and Chandler would take a nice 24-15 lead with 5:58 left to play in the first half.
But then Westbrook would earn her third foul of the half, allowing Mountain View to go on a big run. Consecutive baskets from Arnecia Hawkins, a mid-range jumper from Armani Hawkins and then a nice three-point play from Arnecia Hawkins would cap off a 10-0 run for the Toros.
Arnecia Hawkins would not slow down. She would convert another three-pointer to put her team ahead 32-26 with :49 seconds left to play in the half. And then after a no-call by the referee after a Chandler player was tripped on a drive to the basket, Hawkins would convert a layup in transition just before the halftime buzzer to put Mountain View ahead 34-28 at the half.
Hawkins would continue her strong play in the third period. Her mid-range jumper with 3:40 left to play in the third period would make the score 38-31, Mountain View.
Chandler would fight and close the gap to three points, 38-35, with 1:49 left to play in the period after consecutive baskets from Dezirae Elias - Chandler's heart and soul.
But then Mountain View's talented freshman duo would make their stamp on the game, as Armani Hawkins and 5-foot-8 freshman guard Sabrina Haines would both convert back-to-back three-point plays to push Mountain View's lead to 9 - 44-35. Armani Hawkins would then make a nice layup in transition to end the third period with Mountain View ahead, 44-36.
In the fourth period, with Chandler fighting hard to make a run, Mountain View's 6-foot-2 junior post Jordan Jensen would score consecutive baskets with 7:12 left to play in the game - pushing Mountain View ahead 50-36.
Chandler would make it close late in the fourth, but would be unable to make shots down the stretch.
Mountain View would hold on to win the game, 58-49. Mountain View moves on to face #12 seed Hamilton HS on Thursday evening in the Division-I semi-finals at Jobing.com Arena.
Notes: #12 seed Hamilton HS upset #4 seed Tolleson HS 60-45 in the Division-I quarterfinals Thursday afternoon, behind a game-high 21 points from 6-foot junior forward Aliyah Dickson. Hamilton's berth into the Division-I semi-finals is the first time in Hamilton's school's history.