Page Falls to Pusch Ridge in fourth-quarter collapse

By Truman Begaye
Special to the Times

PAGE, Ariz. – The fifth-seeded Page Sand Devils saw their championship hopes slip away in the fourth quarter Friday night, falling to 11th-seeded Pusch Ridge Christian 53-43 in the quarterfinal of the Arizona Interscholastic Association 3A boys state tournament.

Page led by 10 points late in the third quarter, but a stunning 19-2 run by the Lions in the final frame sent the Pusch Ridge into Friday’s 3A semifinal game with No. 2 Florence.

In their final high school game, senior center Tyree Stingley led the Sand Devils with 23 points, while senior guard Joseph Benally contributed 14.

Page opened the game on fire, draining three 3-pointers to take an early 9-2 lead. Both teams traded baskets as Pusch Ridge settled in, cutting the deficit to 13-6 before outscoring the Sand Devils 9-4 to close the quarter.

Stingley and Benally paced Page with two 3-pointers each, while junior guard Max Reid added a free throw. On the other end, senior forward Hunter Edmunds led the Lions with four points, sophomore guard Noah McKinney added three, and juniors Santino Almazan and Ben Lambe each chipped in two.

The Sand Devils extended their lead to 20-11 with a 7-0 run to start the second quarter, with Stingley scoring four of those points. But Pusch Ridge responded with a dominant 14-3 stretch, taking a 24-23 lead into halftime. Senior forward Isaac Hardeman led the Lions with five points in the period, while McKinney and Edmunds added four each.

For Page, Stingley continued to dominate in the paint, scoring six points, while Benally knocked down a 3-pointer and senior Talen Herder added a free throw.

Page came roaring out of halftime, outscoring the Lions 18-8 in the third quarter. Stingley took over, scoring 11 points, including a key stretch that saw him bring Page back to a 30-30 tie at the 5:02 mark.

The Sand Devils then went on a 16-2 tear to push their lead to 41-32 entering the final quarter. Benally contributed five points in the run, and Herder added two. Meanwhile, Hardeman led Pusch Ridge with six points in the quarter, while Lambe added a field goal.

The fourth quarter, however, turned disastrous for Page. The Sand Devils managed only two points as Pusch Ridge erupted for 19, flipping the game in their favor.

Almazan sparked the rally with eight points, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, while McKinney and Lambe each scored four. Edmunds contributed three points from the line, and Hardeman added two more. Page’s only basket came from Reid, sealing a heartbreaking end to their season.

Following the game, Page head coach Justin Smith reflected on the team’s struggles down the stretch.

“We lacked execution late offensively,” Smith said. “We just didn’t execute well. There’s really no excuse—we had a nine-point lead going into the fourth quarter, but we didn’t capitalize, and it’s disappointing. Not because of our kids—our kids did a great job—but sometimes shots don’t fall, and rebounds don’t go our way. I’m proud of my boys. They fought to the end.”

Looking ahead, Smith remains optimistic.

“I’m always looking forward to the next season,” he said. “The best thing about coaching is that I always get next year—unless I say it’s time to call it done.”

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