The backcourt of Mike Bibby's Shadow Mountain team has a combined seven stars and the highlights to match. Patrick Breen/ azcentral sports
Guards Jovan Blacksher and Jaelen House don't have to be scoring all the time to dominate a game.
This time, it was their wizardry in the lane, finding open teammates and their quickness on defense, making stops, that fueled Phoenix Shadow Mountain's 73-58 home rout of Phoenix Pinnacle on Friday night.
An overflow crowd that included Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley and Grand Canyon coach Dan Majerle -- mostly there to see Pinnacle sophomore point guard Nico Mannion -- caught a glimpse of arguably the nation's best high school backcourt take apart Pinnacle and hold Mannion in check.
Mannion had 15 points but he missed eight 3-pointers and had Blacksher in his face most of the game.
If not for junior guard Spencer Rattler getting hot late -- scoring eight unanswered points, including a pair of 3-pointers -- the score would have looked worse.
"They do the right thing," Shadow Mountain coach Mike Bibby said of his guards. "When we play together and we're not worried about who is getting on the scoreboard, we're a great team."
Bibby: "(Shadow Mountain's guards) do the right thing. We play together and not worry he's getting on the scoreboard, we're a great team." Richard Obert/azcentral sports
3 takeaways
- There won't be another team in Arizona to challenge Shadow Mountain the rest of the season. Shadow Mountain (9-0) plays in 4A but Pinnacle (7-5), a top 6A team, figured to be a challenge, mainly because of Mannion, who came into the game with a strong start to his season. Since Mannion returned to the lineup after missing the first four games coming back from a hand injury, Pinnacle was 6-1 with the lone loss coming last week in the Hoophall West against Las Vegas Clark, a game in which Mannion had 35 points. But Blacksher gave up scoring to make it difficult for Mannion to score.
- The inside play of Shemar Morrow, Jalen Williams, Antonio Reeves and Immanuel Allen make House and Blacksher more effective. Blacksher breaks down the defense as well as anybody in the state, and found those athletes inside repeatedly for points. Blacksher had just eight points, but 11 assists and six steals. Morrow ended up with 24 points, Reeves had 17 and House 14. Three times in the third quarter, House made moves inside the paint, pulling up for baskets that put Pinnacle in a 45-28 hole.
- This was the fewest points Shadow Mountain scored in a game this season. But it won't be able to score 100 every game. The Matadors have broken 100 points five times and put up 99 points against Glendale Cactus on Thursday night. But the defense was tremendous. Bibby stresses help defense, which triggers the break. And when Shadow Mountain has to slow it down, it works the ball inside for good shots, because of its athleticism and ability to stretch the floor with so many scorers.
Final word
"They always find a way to get me open. I'm always in the right spots. I get rebounds for them. And they look out for me." -- Shemar Morrow on Blacksher and House.
Down the road
Shadow Mountain won't find a challenge until Jan. 25-27 when it plays in the Montverde tournament in Florida.
More: Jaelen House, Jovan Blacksher have Shadow Mountain chasing national fame
Recruiting: Pinnacle sophomore point guard Nico Mannion picks up Kansas offer
To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him at twitter.com/azc_obert.
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