4A BOYS: Pioneers push pace, soar past Manogue for title

Defense and layups turned out to be a historical combination for Canyon Springs on Friday night.

The Pioneers limited Bishop Manogue to 33.3 percent shooting and pushed the pace to get layups every time they got the ball on the way to a dominating 82-47 victory in the Class 4A state championship game at Orleans Arena.

It was first state title in any sport for Canyon Springs (29-2), which is in its seventh year of existence. The trip to state was the third for the boys basketball team.

“It’s going down in history,” senior forward Chris Willis said. “The first ones in seven years. We’ve been here twice, but there’s something about this team that’s special.”

The Pioneers did a good job of pushing the pace all night, often answering a Manogue basket in 10 seconds or less.

“As soon as they get a shot up, we want to go,” said Canyon Springs senior Jared Brandon, who had 18 points and eight rebounds. “Make or miss, we want to get it out and get our layups. That’s how we won.”

The team’s defense had plenty to do with it, as well. Not only did the Pioneers limit the Miners (25-6) to 17-for-51 shooting from the field, they also forced 21 turnovers.

“That’s what we do, defense,” Brandon said. “If we’re playing good defense, we’re going to win, because we’re going to get steals and we’re going to get layups, and layups are the easiest shot in the game.”

Canyon Springs fought through its own shooting woes early. The Pioneers started the game 1-for-10 from the field, and missed their first four free throws before finally warming up and taking an 11-5 lead after one quarter.

Senior Chris Willis, who missed five first-quarter free throws, said the team was struggling with nerves to start the game.

“I know I did, that’s for sure,” said Willis, who finished with 13 rebounds. “I really haven’t played on a big stage like this.”

As much as Canyon Springs struggled early, Manogue was even colder. The Miners were 2-for-11 from the field in the first quarter and 5-for-27 in the first half. Manogue was 1-for-17 on 3-pointers in the first half.

“We just didn’t play our game,” Manogue point guard Niles Lujan said. “We didn’t run like we wanted to. We didn’t defend. They killed us on the boards. They beat us in every facet possible.”

Lujan had 23 points on Thursday when the Miners shocked Bishop Gorman, 45-44.

But he had just five points on Friday as Canyon Springs’ Marquon Webster and Trey Evans shadowed with the senior guard all night.

“(We told them) just get in his chest, stay in his chest the entire game and make him work for everything he gets,” Pioneers coach Daryl Branham said. “To their credit, I thought they did a great job of doing that. We knew that their offense ran through him, and if we were going to stall their offense at all we were going to have to do a good job on him.”

Lujan didn’t score until hitting a pair of free throws with 2:36 to go in the first half. He was 1-for-9 from the field on the night.

Canyon Springs’ Michael Thompson scored 12 of his game-high 19 points in the first half to help the Pioneers take a 29-14 lead at the break.

Brandon then took over, scoring eight points in the first 4:17 of the third quarter, and Canyon Springs stretched the lead to 61-29 after three.

Brandon was 17-for-17 from the foul line in two state tournament games.

“Being able to do it with people I love and people I grew up with is a great feeling,” Brandon said. “It’s unbelievable. You have no idea unless you do it. It’s great.”

Willis said the Pioneers felt overlooked all season as people focused on Gorman, which had won the previous two state titles and currently is ranked No. 15 nationally by USA Today.

But Canyon Springs turned out to be the last team standing.

“We were the underdogs the whole season,” Willis said. “Everybody thought Gorman was going to take it. But as you can see, we’re better than Gorman. We blew these cats out and they beat Gorman.”