PHOENIX — Basketball fans from across Arizona made their way to Veterans Memorial Coliseum Thursday night for some great high school basketball action.
The high school basketball state championship games took over the former "Madhouse on McDowell" as theams competed for a state title. Here's a breakdown of the matchups:
In the Girls 4A title game, Flagstaff ended a 31-year-old curse. The 5th-seeded Eagles beat Pueblo 68-65 to win their first state championship since 1992. Freshman Bella Burcar led the way with 19 points. She is the daughter of NAU Men’s Basketball coach Shane Burcar.
In the Boys 4A title game, there was so much respect between two rivals, Deer Valley and Peoria.According to a fan at the event, the two teams met at half court to pray before tip-off.
It was a great season for the Skyhawks, an 8th seed, making it all the way to the title game. We’ll be talking about their semifinal buzzer-beater over Mesquite for a long time!
The Panthers pulled away late thanks to a 10-0 run and Peoria won 65-57. It’s the school’s 3rd state title, first since 2012 and first for head coach Patrick Battillo. You likely know him as Phoenix Suns superfan Mr. ORNG!
Congratulations to all of the winning teams on a great season!
Sports
Watch more of the latest sports videos on the 12News YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training.