The Perry Pumas (15-6) boys basketball team will face the Brophy College Prep Broncos (14-9) on Thursday, Feb. 1 @ 7 p.m. MST.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Pumas coming off a loss
The Pumas were defeated by the Basha Bears (15-6) in an overtime thriller on Tuesday.
71-67 Basha wins it vs Perry in OT. Big win! @PrepHoopsAZ
— Gregg Rosenberg (@GreggRosenberg1) January 31, 2024
It was the second matchup between the two teams this month and the Bears evened the score.
Something important to note is that the Pumas lost by double-digit points to Brophy just over a week ago. They will now look to similarly even the score on Thursday.
BASKETBALL / The Brophy basketball team upset top-ranked Perry on Saturday night 65-52 behind the 24 points by senior Braeden Speed and 22 by Ryan Burbach. @azc_obert
Story: https://t.co/YZliCnZFEW pic.twitter.com/nE7q4Mj65x
— Brophy Athletics (@BrophyAthletics) January 21, 2024
Despite these losses, Perry remains the No. 1 ranked team in the state according to MaxPreps. However, their level of play has decreased from last season.
Chance to repeat
As known, Perry had one of the most dominant high school basketball seasons ever last year. The team finished with a 32-1 record and effortlessly took home the state’s first Open Division Title.
Congratulations to Perry High School's Boys Basketball team, your 2023 AIA Open Division State Champions! The Pumas repeated as champs and defended their first title from 2022 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum Saturday night. #WeAreChandlerUnified @perry_pumas @PerryPumas07 pic.twitter.com/p56iHyvkxP
— Chandler Unified School District (@ChandlerUnified) March 6, 2023
The competition in the state this year is eye-opening and there is no telling who the favorite should be.
With just three regular-season games remaining, the Pumas will look to end on a strong note and enter the playoffs with as much momentum as possible, as they attempt to win their second-straight Open Division Championship.
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Saleh Awwad is a writer/reporter covering Phoenix High School Sports, Arizona State Sun Devils, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @SalehAwwad_
