FARMINGTON – The Volcano Vista High boys basketball team stormed back in the second half Friday to stun Maryvale (Ariz.) 65-60 inside Scorpion Arena and punch its ticket to the Marv Sanders Memorial Invitational Tournament title game against district rival Farmington on Saturday.
The Hawks (3-1) were driven by a standout performance from senior Finley Fitak, who scored all 24 of his points on eight 3-pointers. David Lunn controlled the tempo and the paint, adding 21 points.
Maryvale (7-5), last year’s tournament champion, looked poised to defend its crown for much of the night. Senior Adrian Stubbs led the Panthers with 20 points, while Mikel Montgomery added nine as Maryvale dictated the physical tone early on.
Physicality set the tone from the opening tip, with fouls piling up quickly. Maryvale took an 11-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, headlined by a buzzer-beating block from Montgomery.
“We had to get to a place where we could find our footing a bit just because Maryvale is so physical and athletic that it caused us some problems,” said Volcano Vista head coach Greg Brown about the early struggles. “It was more of a toughness game for us, and I thought we did a good job pushing through.”
The Panthers extended their lead in the second quarter behind freshman Thiago Esquivel, whose aggressive drives and perfect free throw shooting during a 6-0 run helped build a 28-16 halftime lead.
Marv Sanders Tournament Scoreboard
Friday Boys Second Round
Farmington 68, Durango 38
Volcano Vista 65, Maryvale 60
Canon City 58, Shiprock 43
Grand Junction 51, Window Rock 36
Coming out of the break, Volcano Vista adjusted and began to chip away. The Hawks consistently found Fitak open, and he delivered, hitting five of eight attempts from deep in the third quarter. A floater from Luis Gonzales trimmed the deficit to 43-38 as the momentum shifted.
Maryvale maintained a slim 45-40 cushion entering the final quarter, despite accumulating double-digit team fouls.
The final period belonged to Volcano Vista. Gonzales opened with a 3-pointer to make it 45-43, and Lunn snapped out of a quiet third quarter by attacking relentlessly, converting all four drives and trips to the line.
After a brief exchange, Montgomery completed an and-one on Lunn, his fourth foul, to push Maryvale ahead 52-47 with five minutes remaining. Fitak responded immediately with another 3-pointer, and Lunn added two free throws, pulling the Hawks within 57-55.
As Maryvale’s fouls mounted, Volcano Vista capitalized, hitting four free throws to seize its first lead at 59-56 with under two minutes left. Lunn then sealed the win with two more free throws and a layup to give the Hawks a 60-59 advantage with a minute left. Maryvale was forced to foul, and Volcano Vista converted on 11 of its final 14 free throws to close out the 65-60 upset.
In the other semifinal, Farmington dominated the boards and capitalized on clean execution to cruise to a commanding 68-38 win over Durango.
The Scorpions (6-1) pulled away with a 21-point fourth quarter. Senior Sataurus Griego finished with 11 points, while classmate Donathan Tracy added nine with smooth moves under the basket.
The Demons (1-2) were sparked by 11 early points from senior King Kerlin and sophomore Taj Batiste, who stepped in as a key scorer in the second half.
Farmington took a 21-13 lead at the end of the opening frame, helped by a triple from senior Conner Neff and a basket from Griego.
Tracy began flashing his moves and footwork in the second quarter, providing a boost as the Scorpions’ offense stalled briefly.
“When (Tracy) is driving down to the basket, he’s just so crafty down there and they think they’ve got him,” said Farmington head coach Larry Don-Chitty. “I thought he was sort of our saving grace in the first half.”
Farmington led 36-24 at the break and held a 47-33 lead after three quarters, despite posting its lowest scoring quarter of the night with 11 points.
The Scorpions opened the final quarter strong on defense, forcing a five-second inbound violation. Neff fed Isaac Dinning for a score, and senior Derrick Jaramillo Jr. added six fast-break points, powering the 21-point fourth quarter and sealing the 68-38 victory.
“I’m so pleased with (Jaramillo),” Chitty said. “When he comes in, he plays so hard every time. It’s cool that he can come off the bench like that and be ready to go.”
The championship against district rival Volcano Vista is set for 6 p.m. Saturday at Scorpion Arena.
“They’ve been so strong the past few years, and I think us and every team before were a little intimidated by them,” Chitty said. “It’ll be a good test to see if that’s still the case.”
In other action, Canon City (Colo.) outpaced Shiprock 58-43, and Grand Junction defeated Window Rock 51-36.
Shiprock faces Window Rock Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Scorpion Aux Gym, while Grand Junction takes on Canon City at 12:45 p.m. in the Scorpion Arena.
