Down 23-13 with 1:04 left in the second quarter, it looked like the season might come to an end for the Canyon View Jaguars but a 29-8 run followed, highlighted by a three pointer from junior Bernadette Carranza and another from senior Cynthia Tewksbury. Tewksbury’s deep shot with 6:55 left in the game gave No. 3 Canyon View a 42-31 lead and the team weathered a late run at No. 2 Catalina Foothills to win the 5A semifinal 58-48 Tuesday night.

“We talked about the adjustments we needed to make,” Canyon View head coach Desirae Carranza said. “We needed to play harder. They were out playing us. They're a great coached team, so I don't think that we were ready for that when we came out. We've been talking about all year that they're made for this moment so go out there and fight for it.”

The Jaguars will face No. 1 Kellis Friday night for the 5A state championship game to be played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 6 p.m. Canyon View, under Carranza, won the 5A state championship over Sunrise Mountain last year after taking second place to Sunrise Mountain the year before. This will be third trip in a row to the state final for the Jaguars and Kellis won a state championship in 2009 in its only trip to a final. Kellis lost to Sunrise Mountain 56-55 in the quarterfinal round last year and Canyon View beat Sunrise Mountain 49-47 in the quarterfinal round this year after getting blown out by the Mustangs 56-43 on Jan. 8.

Catalina Foothills won a state championship in its only appearance in 1997 but the program bounced back from a play-in loss last year to come all the way back to a semifinal finish this year. Leading the way for the Falcons under head coach Jake Martinez are seniors Clara-Mae Hager and Mercy Martinez. Hager scored a game-high 26 points in the loss to put her near 1,900 career points before she heads off to play for Concordia Moorehead and Martinez added 10 and she will be playing volleyball for Adams State.

Hager scored 15 points in the first half to pace the Falcons to a 25-16 lead at the break but the Jaguars came out firing behind juniors Aaliyah Rogers and Jaila Flowers. Rogers finished with 19 points and Flowers with 16 to go along with nine from Tewksbury, eight from fellow junior Azalee Tellez and six from Carranza. This is a junior heavy squad that could possibly make the Open Division next year.

Still, The Falcons had one more shot. Down 51-45 after sophomore Kayanna Chief hit a three with 1:29 left in the game, the Falcons missed two free throws that would have cut the lead down to four points. Instead, Tellez made two free throws at the other end to end the late threat. Chief ended with five points.

“I can't say enough good things about my seniors, their leadership, the way that they ran the program, the way that they battled for each other, just can't say enough good things about them,” Martinez said. “Credit to Canyon View. I mean, they made great adjustments, and it's a good program, they're good team, and there’s a reason why they're defending state champions.”

Carranza gives her team credit for being mentally tough this year, as the fans saw on the court Tuesday night on the road. “I knew they were able to really respond to that slow start and they didn’t really waver. So I think they're more mentally tough this year then we were last year and the year before. I think they've really grown with their emotions and channeling them.”

Kellis beat No. 4 Pueblo 79-53 in the other semifinal game Tuesday night.

 

GIRLS 5A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum: Friday, March 7, 6 p.m.

No. 3 Canyon View (24-6) vs. No. 1 Raymond S. Kellis (29-4)