Basha's boys hoops success early in the 2022-23 season continued on Tuesday with the Bears posting their fifth win in as many games with a 74-65 victory over host Mesquite. 

The game was the first of the power-ranking variety for both schools. Basha convincingly swept four opponents in the Phoenix Union Coyote Classic last week. With the second week of the regular season underway, Basha got the jump on Mesquite forcing it to play from behind the entire evening. Mesquite (2-3) split four games last week in Mesa's High's Fear the Hop Invite.

Basha used balanced scoring with a trio checking in with double figures. Junior Christian Warren netted 21 points, senior Torin Bosch had 19 and freshman Mason Magee chipped in 17. Justin Garcia off the bench added eight points. Mesquite senior CohenJ Gonzales  fresh off scoring the 1,000th point of his career last week, led the Wildcats with 39 points.

The tone was set in the first three minutes by Basha. The Bears led 9-2 at that point with four different players hitting a bucket in the run. Bosch, Warren and Magee scored six points apiece in the quarter. Mesquite trailed only 22-17 after one.

Magee with a couple of layups, one off a steal, led by 15 with 50 seconds left in the half. The Bears settled for a 43-32 advantage at intermission.

Warren pretty much doused Mesquite's bid for a rally. Warren sank a pair of threes and used a nice spin move for a deuce. In two minutes Mesquite's deficit increased from 11 to 19. Mesquite never cut its deficit below 10 in the second half.

Basha's next game is Thursday on the road vs. Chandler - its first Premier Region battle of the season. Mesquite is back at it Wednesday traveling to American Leadership Academy Queen Creek.