The Roadrunners have always said they don't shy away from anyone. Over two days at the 15th Annual PrimeTime Invitational, they proved it again, going 3-1 against a field stocked with Open Division programs, beating the defending Open Division state champions, knocking off the Open runner-up, and finishing the weekend with a thrilling second-half comeback over defending 6A Champion Liberty to win the consolation championship on a buzzer-beating layup by Jase Benjamin.
San Tan Charter entered the weekend at Millennium High School as the No. 8 seed and the only Copper Division program in the eight-team field. They left it with wins over Sunnyslope, St. Mary's, and Liberty, only dropping their first game of bracket play to top seed and eventual champion, Millennium. Leading the way all weekend for the Roadrunners was Benjamin, along with guard Peyton Lubash, who closed the event with a 20-point performance to spark the comeback and help lift the Roadrunners to the consolation title, earning an All-Tournament Team selection.
"This was a solid weekend for our boys to continue to show that not only do we belong, but we can win at the highest level of basketball in Arizona. Peyton and Jase both had great weekends for us, but we got great contributions throughout the lineup all weekend, along with a chance to get first looks at Kellan Walz and Jayden Hollie, who are clearly great additions to the program. As always, we want to thank Marc and Monarch Sports for inviting us to be a part of another fun and competitive event. We're excited to build on this moment, and the boys are ready for the great opportunities in front of us at the Section 7 next weekend, and in Vegas to close out Juneball."
โ Head Coach Kyli Crooms
Friday: Toppling the Champs
The weekend opened with the marquee showcase matchup, San Tan Charter against No. 2 seed Sunnyslope, the reigning Open Division state champions who finished the season ranked fifth in the nation. It was a tightly contested, physical battle from the opening jump, defined by great defense from the guards on both sides. Neither team could pull away as San Tan Charter led 26-25 at the half, and the Roadrunners ultimately pulled out the 44-42 victory late, holding Sunnyslope to 34 percent shooting (17-of-50) and 5-of-22 from three.
Benjamin led the way with 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while Jason Gremillion added seven points and one block. Tori Street set the defensive tone with six rebounds and two steals. The Roadrunners also won the game at the line, going 8-of-13 while limiting Sunnyslope to just five free-throw attempts.
Two hours later, the Roadrunners were back on the Main Court for bracket play against top-seeded Millennium, who finished the season ranked 19th nationally. San Tan Charter came out strong and led early, but Millennium answered with a three at the buzzer to close the half and cut the deficit to one, 29-28. The Tigers' hot shooting carried into the second half, and a run midway through the period let them extend their lead. The Roadrunners shot a blistering 24-of-44 (55 percent) from the field, better than Millennium's 20-of-41, but the Tigers went 14-of-20 from the free throw line while San Tan Charter went just 4-of-7, and despite an attempt to make a late run, the Tigers held off the Roadrunners for a 62-55 win.
Benjamin poured in 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting with eight more rebounds, and Peyton Lubash added 18 on 6-of-11 from the field, including a perfect 4-of-4 at the line.
Saturday Morning: Handling the Open Runner-Up
Facing St. Mary's, the Open Division runner-up, in the consolation semifinal, San Tan Charter led 35-26 at the half and then went on an extended run in the second half to push the lead to as many as 19. St. Mary's closed the gap with a late run of its own, but the Roadrunners had built too big a cushion, holding on for a 62-53 win.
The performance was the most complete of the weekend: 26-of-38 from the field (68 percent), 15 assists, and 10 steals while forcing 13 turnovers. Benjamin was flawless, scoring 18 points on 8-of-8 shooting. Lubash scored 16 with four assists, Jayden Hollie knocked down two threes on his way to eight points and three steals, and Gremillion matched his perfect day with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting and four steals of his own.
Saturday Afternoon: The Comeback and The Shot
Liberty came out strong in the first half of the consolation championship, opening up a 31-21 lead at halftime, and the Roadrunners were staring at a long bus ride home. Instead, San Tan Charter delivered a 30-19 second half โ and one of the most dramatic finishes in program history.
Lubash carried the comeback, scoring 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line. Street added 10, and Dylan Vargas chipped in nine points, a team-high six rebounds, and a block.
Then came the final 1.3 seconds, with San Tan Charter down one.
Out of the timeout, Liberty guarded Lubash well out of the initial screen, but Benjamin was able to loop around Gremillion at the three-point line and cut hard to the rim. Vargas fired the long inbounds pass from in front of the Liberty bench, and Benjamin was able to adjust to the pass, catching and finishing the layup in one motion as the buzzer sounded, giving the Roadrunners the 51-50 victory.
The Weekend by the Numbers
Lubash led the Roadrunners with 61 points across the four games, saving his best for last, while Benjamin added 55 points and 22 rebounds, including that 8-of-8 masterpiece against St. Mary's and the game-winner against Liberty. As a team, the Roadrunners shot 53 percent from the field across the four games (86-of-161) against a field built almost entirely of Arizona's top Open Division programs.
What's Next
The summer only gets bigger from here. The Roadrunners head to Section 7, the NCAA-certified live period event, June 12-14 at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, followed by Vegas Live in Las Vegas June 26-28. Keep it locked to stcshoops.com for schedules, recaps, and updates all summer long.