Summer basketball looked more like a playoff game Saturday. 

In a bruising back-and-forth championship, Canyon View beat Mountain Pointe 42-39 to win the ABCA Bracket in Section 7 at Arizona Athletic Grounds. Mountain Pointe had the ball at the end with nine seconds left, but Canyon View capped of a stellar defensive day with a game-winning stop.

“They responded really well to the physicality,” Canyon View head coach Desirae Carranza said. “They let us play a lot … super physical, but they handled it well.”

Nothing came easy for either team, with blows being exchanged on both ends of the court. 

The game produced the lowest combined score of the eight girls championship games for Section 7. 

“We had to keep our composure,” Canyon View sophomore center Analycia Sandoval said. “It was a rough game, so we all worked together.”

Sandoval scored 18 points despite missing part of the game after suffering an injury in a tie-up. 

She returned to score Canyon View’s final six points. Controlling the paint on both ends of the court, Sandoval was a 6-foot-3 tower in the middle of Canyon View’s 2-3 zone defense and played bully-ball on offense. 

“My team is always hyping me up, it gets wild,” Sandoval said. “I look at my mom, she tells me, ‘Keep going, keep going.’ My team and coaches have a lot to do with it. They keep me going.”

The sophomore is the leading returning scorer (8.2 points, 4.9 rebounds per game) for Canyon View, which graduated its three leading scorers. 

“We have to play a little bit differently,” Carranza said. “I think our defense is going to be our best offense.” 

Each team took time to adjust to the championship environment. 

Sandoval blocked three shots in the first four minutes of action, and each bucket came the hard way, with few outside shots going down. 

Mountain Pointe senior guard Amara Mask, who averaged 22.8 points per game last season, had a difficult time getting open looks. Her freshmen backcourt teammates helped relieve the burden, with Karmah Mitchell making a strong 14-point introduction and Serenity Fields knocking down two three pointers. 

Mitchell will be a name to watch for the next four years, as she led Mountain Pointe’s offense, driving to the rim and challenging the heart of Canyon View’s defense repeatedly. 

Fields connected on her first three to open the game, one of only four made three-point field goals all game. Mountain Pointe kept a narrow lead during the first half, with Fields adding her second three at the 10-minute mark to make it 10-6. 

Both defenses stood tall throughout the first half, with most points coming off hard-earned second-chance points. Canyon View responded with a layup from Niyah Nsonwu to tie it, 16-16. 

Nsonwu scored all 12 of her points in the first half of her debut after transferring from Millennium, where she won two consecutive Open Division state championships and knocked off Canyon View in the semifinals last season. 

At halftime, Mountain Pointe led 25-24, setting up an intense second half. 

One minute in, Canyon View took its first lead of the game, which was immediately followed by a Mitchell layup to make it 26-25 Mountain Pointe. 

With just over 10 minutes left, Sandoval exited the game after taking contact to the face. With Sandoval out, Mountain Pointe was able to get to the rim and finish through contact more easily. 

The game was tied at 35-35 with three minutes remaining when Aubry Baker split a pair of free throws to give Canyon View the one-point advantage in the final stretch. Sandoval took over the game and returned to score Canyon View’s final three baskets. 

Both teams relied heavily on underclassmen throughout the tournament. Mitchell and Fields provided a glimpse of Mountain Pointe's future, while Canyon View's young core showed why the Jaguars remain among Arizona's top contenders. 

After each side won three games to reach the championship, the young talent on display Saturday suggested both programs are positioned for continued success in the years ahead.