Walking out of the St. Mary's Catholic High School gym with a 59-51 victory on Wednesday, the Sunnyslope Vikings boy's basketball team showed it was one of the top teams in the AIA 6A conference.
Even without star center Carson Basham in the lineup, a hard-fought win over the Knights proved the rest of the Vikings are capable of exciting and effective basketball.
The Pepperdine University-bound Basham transferred to play for AZ Compass Prep in the independent Grind Session before the AIA season began. He would have immediately been one of the top players in 6A and added more size to the already-tall group of forwards for the Vikings.
“Losing Carson was a big one, but we told our guys, 'We're more than one guy,’” said coach Ray Portela, "Nothing bad about Carson. He's a great kid. I love him. I always will. But we got some other guys on this team who are pretty stinkin' talented."
Players have had to adjust to new roles quickly, but at least for one game against one of the state's top teams, the current formula is working.
"It's a next-man-up mentality," Portela said. "You never know when your number is going to be called."
Junior guard Oakland Fort, who scored a game-high 22 points, said the win was a solid step to begin the season.
"It feels good to win after two months waiting to play. They're one of the best teams we will play all year, so beating them is a good start," he said.
Even against a long and athletic team in St. Mary's, Sunnyslope played effective half-court man defense, helping on players at the rim and forcing tough shots from the outside. Each player boxed out, too, and limited St. Mary's second-chance points.
The Vikings will utilize that same strategy all season.
“Slope has always been a defensive-minded team, and that’s what we’re going to base our game off of," said junior forward Elijah Saunders.
The Vikings will need the same effort on a nightly basis in 6A play, though they will rarely be outsized again this season. They moved up a conference after reaching the 5A semifinals in 2020.
Portela said the team is excited to play a full season in 6A, with a chance to prove itself against the biggest schools in Arizona. However, many of their conference games are now uncertain. The Vikings may find themselves scrambling to pick up opponents, as the Phoenix Union High School District and Tolleson Union High School District have not yet allowed their schools to play winter sports. Teams from those two district comprised eight of Sunnyslope's scheduled contests.
Despite future questions on how many games, and against who, the Vikings will play, Portela believes Sunnyslope's hopes for the 2021 season look bright.
“It’s a great moment, considering everything going on in the world, we’re just happy to be in the gym," he said.
Sunnyslope (1-0) will host Shadow Ridge (0-1) on Jan. 22.
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