Chavez upsets Pinnacle in OT to advance to finals

slider-generic-basketball-courtIt was a wild, fast paced, sloppy and entertaining semi-final matchup between the number two seeded Pinnacle Pioneers and the number six seeded Cesar Chavez Champions. It took overtime to decide a winner and in the end it was Chavez pulling off he upset, 62-58 from Jobing.com Arena Thursday. 

The game was tight almost from start to finish. Chavez came out with more energy and held a 15-7 lead after one. 

Junior Drew Bender settled in during the second quarter and brought the Pioneers back to tie the game before halftime. He had a team high 23 points. 

The game would be tied after the third as well. 

After Bender hit four straight clutch free throws to give Pinnacle a three point lead in the closing seconds of the game, Chavez senior JD Reagan put the team on his back and nailed a three point shot from the hash mark on the sideline to tie the game and ultimately send it into overtime. Reagan finished with a game high 27. 

The Champions would separate themselves in the overtime period led by LJ Harmon who had two big buckets in route to victory. 

Chavez will now face the number one seed in division I, the Corona del Sol Aztecs, who defeated Desert Vista on Thursday 49-46. 

Tip-off for the final game is Saturday at 4pm from Jobing.com Arena. 

For more Arizona High School playoff hoops coverage, follow Jared Cohen on twitter at @JaredPros2Preps.