6A Premier Region rivals Perry and Hamilton matched up in boys basketball for the third time in 2021-22 Wednesday night with more at stake than usual. Not bragging rights for a couple weeks as in the regular season, but a state championship.

Third-seeded Perry won two regular-season meetings and made it a sweep with a hard-fought 48-38 triumph over #9 Hamilton in the 6A title game at Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum. Both schools were playing in their first-ever boys hoops title game.

Perry guard Cody Williams, who orchestrated the offense, finished with a game-high 15 points. The lanky 6-foot-7-inch junior, shared team-high rebouding honors with six, handed out four assists and collected five steals. He made a pair of pretty baskets in the final quarter helping the Pumas stave off Hamilton. One of those was a left-handed scoop made possible by his physique. The other a floater in the lane.

The play Perry coach Sam Duane Jr. thought was key was a Williams steal with 3:05 left and Hamilton coming close to overtaking the Pumas.

"That was a huge play," Duane Jr. said. "He is a great point guard. He sacrificed his scoring and it helped get contributions from everyone." 

Perry starters logged all game minutes save about 5:45. Duane used only one sub for that nugget of time. Freshman Koa Peat was the only other Puma in double figures, netting 14.

Koa Peat is all smiles near the end of the 6A title game Wednesday. (Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

Dylan Anderson added 8 points, Kyle Waters 7, and Ben Egbo 4.

Perry won every quarter, but not by much. The Pumas led 10-7 after one, 22-16 at half and 33-26 after three periods. Hamilton got as close as 39-34 with 1:43 left, but Perry free-throw shooting was strong down the stretch (9 of 12) and closed the Huskies out with 40 seconds to go.

Hamilton was led offensively by senior Quincy Adams with 13 points, followed by senior Aaron Foote with nine (on three, three-pointers). Adams tallied nine of his 13 points in the third quarter, but made just one basket in the fourth. He was limited to two points (free throws) in the first half due to foul trouble.

Perry's Duane Jr. and Hamilton's Doug Harris are Corona del Sol graduates four years apart in the late 1980s. Harris played and starred at Corona for Duane Jr'.s father, Sam Duane Sr. The title was Duane Jr. fifth as a coach. He logged four in a row at Corona del Sol between 2012 and 2015). Harris has won a title coaching Desert Vista in 2008. 

(Coach Doug Harris guided Hamilton to its first boys title game. Jose Garcia/azpreps365)

Fans of Hamilton show off their dance moves and other parts during the game. (Jose Garcia/azpreps365)