Daniel Maher is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Saint Mary's Catholic for AZPreps365.com

After a flurry of threes got Notre Dame Prep out to an early lead in the first round of the state playoffs, St. Mary’s had to refocus.

“I think our guys came in looking like a deer in headlights early,” said coach Damin Lopez. 

Lopez implemented a full court press that quickly slowed down the pace of the Saints offense. The Knights strong play style started to pay dividends, but Lopez was once again forced to make some coaching adjustments before St. Mary’s could secure a 54-42 win.

Junior Guard Garrison Phelps caused all sorts of problems for Notre Dame. But, his aggressive style led to two technical fouls and his ejection. Senior Keiren Brown got into foul trouble and was forced to sit for a majority of the second half. 

 “We have confidence in ourselves from the first to the 10th guy. Knowing that we have that type of depth allowed us to stay calm in those situations,” said Lopez. 

 Lopez’s halftime speech got through to his team as it  did not look back. Sophomore Jason Fontenet led the way as he was unstoppable down the stretch. Fontenet scored 19 while also picking up four rebounds on the defensive glass. 

The Knights size, speed, and strength all started to take its effect on the Saints as the turnovers started to turn the tide of the game. While Brown was on the bench, freshman guard Styles Phipps picked up the pace for him. Phipps had eight points and four steals on the way to the Knights victory. 

With the support of the “bleacher creatures” at their back, the Knights finished the game strong and forced Notre Dame to hold onto the ball without moving it for over two minutes straight. After some late free throws by Brown, the Knights notched their 16th straight win. They haven't lost since Jan. 20.

“We by no means thought this was going to be a cakewalk; they came to play. But we thankfully are able to survive and advance,” said Lopez. 

“For us, it's just making sure we are doing the same things we've been doing. Defensively we are locking in on teams and hitting the boards hard on both sides. I think we are going to need better ball movement, if there is one disappointing thing from the first half it was that our ball movement wasn’t where it needed to be. We just have to come out ready to play.”

The Knights will play again Saturday at 7 pm and face the winner of a game between Bradshaw Mountain and Estrella Foothills. The Knights will also retain home-court advantage as they came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed.