The Basha boy’s basketball team knew the 2017 run would be fruitful.
They had a roster that featured nine seniors who had come up together led by guard Terrell Brown, who will be playing football at NAU, and forward Gabe McGlothan, who has committed to Army.
The Bears capped off their 31-win season with a state championship 75-65 victory over Corona del Sol.
“We knew that freshman class was special and you can see why,” Basha boy’s basketball coach Mike Grothaus said. “If you track their entire four year career, they don’t lose much. They are a tough, competitive group. Honest to goodness, everything they do, they compete. I’m so proud of those guys tonight. They did a heck of a job.”
Seniors Stepping Up
McGlothan earned a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds and helped control the paint defensively.
“I think Gabe’s a mismatch all year long,” Grothaus said. “He’s been our anchor, he’s been the guy we’ve been riding. He’s a special young man going to Army next year. He’s one of a kind.”
Brown notched 23 points as well. The guard also paired with Brenna Davis when guarding the impressive tandem of Alex Barcello and Saben Lee.
“We rebounded really well and they have two excellent guards, high major guards and we just played defense,” McGlothan said. “Big credit to Terrell Brown and Brennen Davis, they played really well defending them.”
Really from the beginning of the season, the Bears had high expectations and were deemed to be one of the top programs in the state. That sort of pressure can cause a team to have adversity and crumble, but that’s not the way Basha handled it.
“These kids are competitive, they never looked at it like that, Grothaus said. “We took everyone’s best shot every night and these guys were up for the challenge.”
Challenge accepted. Each and every night.
