Richard Smith

West Valley Preps

When prognosticators looked at a Northwest Christian boys basketball team returning three starters and another key contributor from a 3A semifinalist, they expected the team to pick up where it left off.

That lead to a "what's wrong" narrative following a 3-4 start. That line of thinking ignored a simple fact — last season's Final Four team started 3-7.

Following a dominant performance in a 72-40 victory against Kingman (5-6, 0-1 region) Friday night the Crusaders are 10-4. More importantly, they appear to have returned to the style of team ball that made them title contenders to begin with.

"The nice thing about Christmas break is that we get a lot of practice time. I feel we always come out of Christmas break looking a lot better," Northwest Christian Coach Jason Cook said. "Our guys are getting comfortable in our roles."

As Friday night showed, having senior point guard Andrew Augustine healthy also helps. The team's leader and key offensive cog missed the first three losses this year, at Queen Creek Casteel and against Winslow and Sunrise Mountain in the Pepsi Holiday Tournament.

Against the Bulldogs, Augustine only scored on three-point shots in the first half. But he hit seven of them, for all 21 of his points.

"It happens every once in a while. I get open shots because my teammates set good screens. Mostly, it's a credit to them for getting me open," Augustine said.

He hit one more three in the third, added a layup for a game-high 26, then sat out the fourth. The rest of the attack was balanced in the Crusaders' equal opportunity offense.

Senior forward Matt Huss showed why he's a crucial link in the attack between Augustine and senior big men Zach Johnson and Jonah Hamstra. Huss finished the night with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

"(Huss) is pretty key for us, and he played well in the Christmas tournament. He's a really good mid-range shooter, which is nice when people help on Andrew or help out in the post. But he really sees the court well and is a good leader for us," Cook said.

Kingman junior forward Tucker Humble nearly matched Augustine, with 14 points in the first half, But he did not score after the break and senior point guard Elijah Howery was the only other consistent threat, with a team-high 19 points.

Off to a 2-0 start in the 3A West Region, the Crusaders look like a clear favorite in the region. But those games won't help the team jump from its current No. 19 spot in the rankings like non-league games against Florence, Fountain Hills and Valley Christian.

"Key things last year for us were wins against Florence and Fountain Hills. We've got to get non-section wins under our belts to help with the rankings. And we have Valley at the end of the year. We really have to try to get two of those," Cook said.

Northwest Christian's Mariah Baca (#4) drives to the basket against Kingman on Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 at Northwest Christian School in Glendale. [Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps][/caption]

Girls basketball: Northwest Christian 56 Kingman 42

While the shorthanded boys team scuffled early, the Northwest Christian girls were, and remain, a pleasant surprise.

The Crusaders squeaked into the playoffs last year despite a 12-13 record, for their first postseason trip in a decade. It was short lived, as Window Rock obliterated the No. 24 seed.

A 56-42 victory against Kingman allowed the Crusaders to match last season's total with 12 wins. At 12-4, the team's growth curve is ahead of even where second-year coach Bill Harbeck expected.

"I knew it wouldn't happen  last year," Harbeck said. "I thought it would happen this year but I wasn't sure how soon. And it happened in the first few weeks. I didn't anticipate they would go this far this quick."

Kelsey Groff is the squad's only senior, and contributed 10 points. Hardback said she is a leader and unifying force."

Junior point guard Mariah Baca is the focal point for the turnaround and proved that again Friday. She finished 21 points and five assists.

"If you've got a good point guard, you can make your team go. And I've got a good one. She doesn't have great speed but she takes over games," Harbeck said.

The goal this year to avoid a road trip, particularly to a powerhouse Northern Arizona school.