In the first round of the Division-I Section III tournament, #4 seed Pinnacle would face #5 seed Boulder Creek HS (20-6).
After building a 20-point halftime lead, Pinnacle (26-3) would have to fight to hold on to a 69-60 victory, behind the play of 6-foot-4 junior guard/forward Drew Bender.
Pinnacle would jump out to a comfortable 43-23 halftime lead, as Pinnacle would look almost unbeatable in the game's first half.
After head coach Randy Walker and his staff would make some adjustments at halftime, Boulder Creek would storm back in the game's third period - outscoring Pinnacle 17-7 in the quarter.
Boulder would cut the lead to 12 points after a driving basket by 6-foot-2 senior guard Weston Newell. A threee-pointer by 6-foot-4 junior guard/forward Josh Braun would narrow the margin to 10 points, 50-40, at the end of three periods.
Boulder Creek would cut the lead to 6 points, 50-44 early in the fourth period - a 21-7 run by Boulder, but a huge three-pointer in transition by Pinnacle's 6-foot-1 senior guard Kevin Bowman would end Pinnacle's scoring drought with 5:23 left to play in the game. Another transition basket by Drew Bender, and Pinnacle would take a 55-45 lead.
Two more consecutive baskets by Bender, and Pinnacle would jump out to a 59-46 lead with 2:40 left to play.
Boulder's Josh Braun would then connect on another three-pointer, and then a mid-range pull-up jumper in transition to bring Boulder Creek within 4 points, 62-58, with :58 seconds remainning.
But a costly turnover in transition with :20 seconds left to play would end Boulder Creek's hopes of an upset victory.
Pinnacle would hold on to win the game, 69-60.
Pinnacle will now advance in the sectional tournament to face #1 seed Desert Vista HS in an exciting rematch on Friday evening. Desert Vista defeated Pinnacle on the road early in the season.
