Don Ketchum
Former Staff Writer, AZPreps365.com

Queen Creek's balance earns spot in PUHSD hoops semis

January 2, 2014 by Don Ketchum, AZPreps365


The boys basketball team from Queen Creek High doesn’t have any players who can dominate a game, but the Bulldogs do have a bunch of aggressive team players who contribute to the team’s success.

They know that it’s the win that counts, that it doesn’t really matter how you get there.

That style allowed the Bulldogs to reach Friday’s (Jan. 3) semifinals of the Phoenix Union High School District Holiday Tournament with a 67-52 victory on Thursday (Jan. 2) over Phoenix Arizona Lutheran at Phoenix South Mountain High.

Queen Creek (9-3) will face Laveen Betty H. Fairfax in one semifinal game on Friday at 3 p.m. The second semifinal at 4:30 p.m. will feature either Phoenix North or Phoenix Carl Hayden against Phoenix Shadow Mountain or Laveen Cesar Chavez.

“We have a lot of guys who do the same thing, so I guess you could say our strength is our team,’’ said Queen Creek coach Troy Gibson.

“As a group, we play good team defense and are patient on offense.’’

Queen Creek had balanced scoring. Guard Ty Lemieux had 25 points, Carter Wilson totaled 14 and Parker Anderson had 12.

Lemieux got a lot of his points at the front of the fast break or when he slashed to the basket.

“Ty is a senior who has been with us two years and he does a nice job. He has good court sense,’’ Gibson said.

Queen Creek raced to a 20-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, thanks in part to a pair of 3-pointers by Parker Anderson and a third from long range by Zach Rivera.

Lemieux scored the Bulldogs’ final eight points of the first half to keep his team in front 32-23 at intermission.

Arizona Lutheran (3-4) finally gained some momentum late in the third quarter. The Coyotes went on a 12-0 run, with Kris Lamberson (23 points) scoring nine and twin brother B.J. Lamberson nailing a 3-pointer.

Queen Creek got some of its mojo back to start the fourth as Lemieux hit a pair of baskets and Carter Wilson scored a bucket off an inbounds play. Arizona Lutheran couldn’t get back into the game after that.

“We can’t really afford to let too many teams back in it after we get the lead. We have to be more consistent,’’ Gibson said.