Mesa High used a wire-to-wire performance on Tuesday night to deal four-time defending big-school champion Corona del Sol a 65-62 defeat in the first power-ranking game of the season for both at Jackrabbit Gym.

Led by 31 points from senior Drew Hatch, Mesa put an end to two Corona del Sol winning streaks -- a 69-game winning streak against Arizona opponents and a 20-game success streak that finished out the Aztecs' state title run last season. Corona's last loss to an Arizona team was to Dobson on Jan. 29  of 2013. Tuesday was the season-opener for Corona del Sol and new coach Neil MacDonald while Mesa was playing its fifth game after posting a 4-1 mark in its Fear the Hop tourney last week.

Mesa (5-1) jumped to a 9-2 lead and never trailed in the game. Drew Hatch scored 12 points in the first period and 18 of the Jackrabbits' 27 in the first half. Corona, with two starters back in junior standout Alex Barcello and senior Tyrell Henderson, succumbed because of a slow start, Mesa's dominance on the boards and the Jackrabbits' stubborn hold on the lead that didn't wane until the final 2:30. Mesa led at that juncture, 58-46, after Drew Hatch hit his fourth-three of the night and David Cummard sank two free throws.

Corona didn't quit, forcing four turnovers in the final 2:30 and getting offense from Barcello and Saben Lee, a contributor off the bench last year. Barcello and Lee combined to score Corona's final 16 points. Barcello finished with 28, 15 of those in the fourth quarter) and Lee ended up with 20 points. Corona trailed 64-62 after a Barcello layup and had a chance to tie or take the lead when Mesa's fourth turnover late gave Corona the ball with 13.3 seconds.

Corona got the ball to Barcello, who managed an off-balance shot in the lane that was off the mark. Mesa's Darius Goudeau (12 points) grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Goudeau made 1 of 2 free throws. His miss was on the second and Corona gained possession after a scramble with a final chance to tie with 5.9 seconds left.

Down 65-62, Barcello fired up a contested shot from 3-point range that caromed off the front of the rim as time expired.

"We almost lost it at the end," Mesa coach Shane Burcar said. "I trusted our guys at the end, but should have called time to help them out. That's on me. We made free throws and that was big."

Mesa connected on 13 of 14 free throws in the final period. Burcar felt rebounding would be a key since the Aztecs no longer have Marvin Bagley III and he was right. The Aztecs struggled mightily in the first half and to a lesser degree in the second half due to that.

"We thought we could manipulate the game that way," Burcar said. "I thought David Cummard did an unbelievable job (defending) on Barcello, and Barcello still had a heck of a game. He's one of the, if not the best player in the state."

MacDonald pointed to defense early and rebounding for the downfall.

"Our defense was reactive, we weren't dictating or aggressive at the start," MacDonald said. "It was our first game and their fifth. We know we have to be really good defensively, and we weren't enough tonight. They also had 14 offensive boards....

"We have to put this behind us, learn a lesson and move on and be ready for Desert Ridge on Friday."