Perry (14-1) was ranked as high as No. 4 in the nation until a 57-54 setback to Harvard-Westlake of Studio City at the Nike Tournament of Champions last Thursday dropped the Pumas to No. 10 and Harvard-Westlake (18-1) vaulted from No. 16 to 3 after the upset in Gilbert. There’s clear speculation that the Pumas would have risen to No. 2 behind Roosevelt (18-1) of Eastvale, California but a No. 10 ranking is still impressive, just ask Tucson High. The Badgers (10-6) hosted the Pumas Tuesday night and the team forced a 36-36 tie with three minutes left in the third but the Pumas pulled away for a 64-48 win.

All eyes were on Perry senior Koa Peat, a 6-foot-8 wing who has trimmed his Division I choices to Arizona, ASU, Baylor, Houston and Texas. Houston assistant coach K.C. Beard was in attendance along with an overflow crowd in the Badger gym that most likely hasn’t hosted a top ten team in the modern era.

Peat finished with 22 points and 16 rebounds with nine of those points coming in the final 5:18. Peat had to sit the bench after picking up his fourth foul with Perry leading 36-34 but the Badgers couldn’t take advantage of his absence like they did earlier in the game after giving up a 14-3 to end the fist quarter. Instead, senior D’Andre Harrison came up big when the Pumas needed him by scoring 17 of his game-high 29 points in the second half including 10 straight to erase the 36-36 tie to build a 46-39 lead with 6:07 left.

Harrison signed with Missouri Kansas City right before Thanksgiving so the recruitment pressure is off for the wing and he will be called upon down the stretch for coach Sam Duane with every team expected to give the Pumas all they have.

One of those players who made the game dangerously close for the Pumas was Tucson junior Malaki Cunningham-Hiadzi who led the Badgers with 14 points until fouling out with 2:58 left. Senior Xavier Grajeda added 11 and junior Patrick Flores scored nine as did senior Julio Marquez.

Perry led 18-12 after one, Tucson went up 32-29 at the half, Perry took over at 44-36 after three and won 64-48. The initial AIA power rankings will be released on Jan. 14. The power rankings do not include games played at invitational like the Tournament of Champions. Perry is 9-0 in ranking games and the Pumas will visit Basha (9-0) on Friday and Tucson (8-2) will play at Sahuaro (7-0) on Thursday so things will not get an easier for either squad.

Perry head coach Sam Duane at right. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)

Tucson head coach Eric Langford had his Badgers ready. (Andy Morales/AZPreps365)