(GILBERT, Ariz.) Gilbert Christian moves to 5-0 following a pair of very contrasting wins, a 65-64 victory over Pusch Ridge on the road Friday, and a 77-31 rout of regional opponent Bourgade Catholic at home on Tuesday.
Against the Lions, senior Jace Olson sank a three-pointer as time expired courtesy of a drive and dish from classmate Owen Fermoyle, to give GCHS its second buzzer-beater (in Tucson) of the 2024 season.
"These Tucson games are intense," Head Coach Jason Pasquariello said. "Pusch Ridge came out on fire last week, and did not miss very many shots in the first quarter. Thankfully, neither did we. It was a really tight, and very well-played contest. We ended up with the ball at the end of the game, and made the right basketball play in the moment. We have had a few players out in both of these games, and have seen how our guys step up huge and fill the holes when needed."
Olson finished Friday's game with 31 points and seven assists. Fermoyle compiled a double-double in the affair, scoring 12 while grabbing 10 rebounds, and senior Tyler Burr added 11 points of his own for the Knights.
Freshman Colin Burke was a menace defensively, with five steals in the clutch win.
Tuesday was a different story, as Gilbert Christian started hot and did not relent, besting previously unbeaten Bourgade Catholic (3-1) by 46 points.
Burke paced the Knights on offense, logging 16 in 16 minutes, while Fermoyle and Burr both recorded 15 in 20 minutes of action. Senior Logan Lucero and freshman Huck Lang chipped in eight and five points, respectively, in the blowout victory.
Four was the magic number for junior guard Taylor Abrahamson, who managed four points and four rebounds, while tying Burke and Lucero for the assist crown with four dishes.
Gilbert Christian outrebounded the Golden Eagles 42-23 in the match-up, with nearly every member of the team contributing to the imbalance. Fermoyle led the effort with eight boards, and Burr grabbed seven off the glass, followed by Lucero and junior Ben Rozier, who tallied five apiece for Pasquariello's undefeated squad.
The Knights have two invitationals remaining in 2024. First up is the Saguaro Basketball Holiday Classic, where GCHS will face Olympia HS (WA) on December 19th at 2:00pm. The final tournament, the Visit Mesa Basketball Challenge, is scheduled to begin on Dec. 27th.
-GO KNIGHTS-
