Austin Nicholson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Phoenix Country Day School for AZPreps365.com

Phoenix Country Day senior guard Griffin Freret is back.

“I felt out of shape, but it was good to get my legs back under me,” Freret said Friday after returning to the lineup from an ankle injury in December.

Although he wasn’t aggressive in the first half, he gave his teammates good looks at the basket on multiple occasions. But Rancho Solano Prep began the game playing a full-court press defense, causing fits for Freret and the Eagles. They scored 20 points in the first 16 minutes en route to a 71-44 loss.

However, the Eagles started off the third quarter with more success shooting from the field. They made shots on multiple possessions in a row, some of these created by Freret’s enate passing ability.

“They switched into a man [defense] in the second half, so it was easier to get by the one [defender],” Freret said.

Freret finished with four points.

Head coach and Athletic Director Shane Lewis said his star guard was only “75%” and limited in his role because of the injury. Lewis said that he is trying to get Freret’s conditioning back.

“He hasn’t run since Christmas break, and [we’re] trying to get his legs back in shape,” Lewis said.

Rancho Solano’s high-powered offense was led by senior forward Hunter Ruck with 21 points. He made his presence known in the paint.

Asked what the game plan was for Ruck defensively, Lewis said they were trying to “make it difficult for him” to score. Unfortunately, the Eagles were no match for his size and length.

“He’s a big kid, and he’s hard to handle,” Lewis said. “We definitely struggled.”

 

Looking forward, Freret said the team has room to improve.

"[We need to] play team defense, shift to the ball, and take a couple of charges,” Freret said.

 

The Eagles are now 11-5. With the playoffs a little more than a week away, the plan is simple.

“We got to get healthy,” Lewis said.

Not only is Freret less than 100%, so are two of his teammates.One got injured in warmups before the  game. If the Eagles want to make a run in the playoffs, they need to be at full strength.

Phoenix Country Day plays itslast home game on Senior Night Tuesday gainst Cicero Prep.