The Higley Knights defeated the Saguaro Sabercats 62-37 in Gilbert Friday night. The game was called with 6:48 remaining in the fourth quarter due to a fight between the teams.

The Knights will move on into the second round of the 4A play-in tournament, while Saguaro’s season is over. Suspensions are expected for both teams, as multiple players came off the bench during the brawl.

The fight started after a battle for a rebound on a missed Saguaro shot. Teammates, parents, and students from both schools had to be restrained as the fight was broken up.

Once teams were separated, they were directed to their respective locker rooms while referees contacted AIA officials. Per protocol, everyone not directly associated with the teams was removed from the gym.

The game was eventually called over approximately 45 minutes after the brawl occurred.  

The Sabercats came out strong in the first quarter, finishing with a lead of 19-17, but it was all Knights in the second quarter. Higley outscored Saguaro 20-7 in the second and went into halftime with a 37-26 lead.

The Knights carried their strong play into the third quarter, outscoring Saguaro 21-11. They headed into the fourth quarter up 58-37. It was clear that the Saguaro players were quickly growing frustrated, with one player slamming his fist on the court late in the third.

Higley finished the game with four more points before the brawl occurred shortly into the fourth. Sophomore forward Jason Harris finished the game with 19 points and eight rebounds. The Knights used their height advantage to work the ball inside and score from the post.

Harris stands at 6-8 while fellow sophomore Shon Robinson is 6-10. Robinson finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, the only double-double from either team. The Knights outrebounded the Sabercats 34-15.

Senior guards Amir Evans and Anthony Ramirez led the Sabercats, scoring 11 and 15 points respectively. This will be the last game for the 10 seniors on the Saguaro squad. The Sabercats finish the season 12-14.

Higley will continue their postseason with a 15-10 record, they will play on the road next Thursday against a team to be determined.