By Mason Byers
Staff Writer
The three-time defending state champion Perry Pumas continue to prove why they are one of the best modern dynasties in Arizona high school basketball.
The Pumas took on the out-of-state Corner Canyon Chargers from Draper, Utah Friday night. From start to finish it was all Perry, as the Pumas won in dominant fashion, 78-58.
At the beginning of the game, the Pumas were all over the Chargers defensively. Whether it was steals, deflections or blocks, Perry was doing it all to make it difficult for Corner Canyon. The Pumas then turned their great defense into great offense.
Star player Koa Peat found sophomore Bruce Branch III on a lob early into the game. Then to round out the first quarter, Branch III had a pin-block off the backboard and found senior DeAndre Harrison for the dunk.
Right from tipoff, no matter the lead, Harrison kept his motor going and kept finding ways to be impactful for his team.
“I was trying to get my motor going inside and out,” Harrison said. “I’ve had that since a young age, and I have just kept it through high school.”
The second quarter was the same as the first.
Perry got off to a hot start, which forced Corner Canyon's hand to call multiple timeouts. One of the timeouts came after Peat had a windmill dunk on a fast-break, which had the gym rocking.
Peat, who is now a senior, has put together an impressive run in his high school career. His leadership has seen tremendous growth over the last four years.
“My all-around game has gotten better, defensively and offensively,” Peat said. “I just keep trying to get better as a teammate and a leader every day.”
At halftime, Perry led 48-19 over Copper Canyon, although in the third quarter, the Chargers put together a nice run to cut the lead. The quarter was led by Corner Canyon’s Bryton Valdes and Noah Bendinger, who both had three-point shots that fell through.
The Chargers cut the lead to 20 after the third quarter. Despite the lead, Perry coach Sam Duane wasn't pleased with his team's second-half start.
“We were very complacent, we didn’t move the ball, we got very casual,” Duane said. “Those are habits we don’t want.”
Perry got back to playing its brand of basketball in the fourth quarter. Even with the game decided, the Pumas made sure to end off on a strong note.
Harrison finished the game just as he started by getting multiple buckets at the rim.
With a win, the Pumas continue their hot start to the year. Duane is happy with how his squad has looked early in the season, as they look to defend their state championship once again.
“When we get challenged, they’ve answered every challenge,” Duane said. “They have won, they know how to win.”
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