(GILBERT, Ariz.) Fueled by energy, effort, and a raucous home crowd, the Gilbert Christian boys basketball team defended its home floor Friday night, earning a 70-53 regional victory over Northwest Christian in a special KNIGHT OUT showdown.

The Knights set the tone early, playing with relentless defensive intensity that consistently ignited the offense. Gilbert Christian jumped out to a 17-7 lead after the first quarter and carried a 30-26 advantage into halftime after weathering a brief Crusaders' push.

Sophomore Colin Burke led the way with an impressive all-around performance, finishing with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. Burke was a disruptive force at the top of the press, tallying five steals and 11 deflections while setting the pace on both ends of the floor.



Senior Kamari Stanbury once again served as the Knights' floor general, contributing nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals in a steady all-around effort that anchored Gilbert Christian throughout the night.



The Knights also received major contributions from their freshman class. Jacob Jensen made the most of his 14 minutes, scoring 10 points and pulling down seven rebounds while knocking down a pair of shots from beyond the arc. Fellow freshman Trey Cicerelli made it rain inside, splashing five from deep for 15 points in just 18 minutes on the court.

Gilbert Christian continued to shine in second half play, outscoring the Crusaders 16-8 in the third quarter and amping up the pressure down the stretch to claim a 24-19 advantage in the fourth.

Perhaps the most electric moment of the night came late, when senior Nate Johnson entered in the closing minutes and delivered a pair of back-to-back three-pointers, sending the Knight Out crowd into a frenzy as he accounted for the Knights' 67th (insert the hand motions) and 70th points.



With the win, Gilbert Christian improves to 5-3 on the season.

The Knights will look to keep momentum rolling on the road, traveling to San Tan Foothills (6-12) on January 14th for a 7:00pm tip-off against the Sabercats.