When your school hasn’t won a state title in its history, dating back to 1928, you know there is no need to rush or panic.

Patience is the key to getting to the ultimate goal.

That was the approach Brophy College Prep coach Matt Hooten utilized in their 6A basketball state championship matchup versus Mesa Saturday at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

His strategy paid off immensely, as his Broncos (19-11) pulled away in the second half, winning 62-49 and ending a 97-year drought of no basketball titles at a school that oozes championship pedigree.

“We made a couple of defensive adjustments in the second half in terms of who was guarding who and we put Luke Wieskamp, one of our seniors, on their leading scorer (Ki Ki Myles), who is a heckuva player. But Luke is 6-foot-6 with extra wingspan, so I think that extra size just gave us a boost on his shots,” Hooten explained.

Myles, the frosh phenom who scored 26 in the semis to help his No. 11 seed Jackrabbits upset No. 2 Liberty in the semis, was sitting with 12 points at halftime against the Broncos, and his team holding a 34-32 lead.

But the second half told a different story, as the defensive matchup switch at the break saw Myles manage just two points the rest of the way, with the deuce coming on a breakaway dunk.

Meanwhile, one thing that was added to the victory recipe for the Broncos, along with the second-half stingy defense, was great shooting throughout the contest.  

Four starters, Daylen Sharper (18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), Wieskamp (15 points), Ayden Madi (12 points) and Ryan Burbach (11 points, 8 rebounds), managed to hit for double point figures. 

Sharper, also a football standout for the Broncos, was the glue on the floor leading the offense in the point. His play really stood out in the fourth quarter when Mesa (22-8) tried to match Brophy’s physical play with a bit of their own to force turnovers and try to keep the game close.

The increased physicality forced Sharper to the free throw line for 10 attempts in the fourth alone--seven of those he made--giving his team breathing room down the stretch to cruise to the win.

“My job is to do what I need to, to make sure my team wins. If I have to boxout their best guy or score a bunch of points, I will do whatever. I just want to help my team win,” Sharper said.

Brophy took the lead right out of the gate when Wieskamp nailed a pair of 3-pointers in their first two possessions, giving them a 6-0 lead. It would be the largest lead for the Broncos until late in the third quarter when a Burbach layup gave them a 48-41 advantage.

As for Mesa, it kept things close over the first part of the game thanks in part to a 9-0 run that gave it a 7-point advantage (23-16) to end the first quarter. Four different scorers contributed during that stretch, including Myles, Brig Bowden (11 points, 9 rebounds) and Daijon Grayson (13 points).

“(Brophy) was playing a little physical with us. That seemed to bother us a bit,” said Mesa coach Scott Stanberry. “But good for (Brophy). They had a plan and attacked us the right way.”