BOYS BASKETBALL: Leigh Snaps Piedmont Hills Perfect Home Record

Leigh 64, Piedmont Hills 52

 The Star: Senior Sohn Nijor scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Led by the smooth guard, Leigh (20-3, 11-2 MHL) went into Piedmont Hills High (20-3, 11-2 MHL) and captured a monumental road win that sets them as co-leaders in the MHL. Fellow Senior Deven Patterson also scored 18 points, including a monster tomahawk dunk in the fourth quarter.

 Turning Point: With the score 29-28 at halftime in favor of Piedmont, Leigh stormed  out of  gates in the second half with a defensive and offensive surge.  The Longhorns outscored Piedmont 23-9 in the third quarter to take control of the pivotal league bout. Everything clicked for Leigh as they forced turnovers which led to fast breaks and open 3’s .

 The Quote: “I’ve been telling these guys all year, that when we play the right way—we’re the best team in league,” said Longhorns head coach Patrick Judge. “We always capitalize team because it’s so important—and tonight it showed that we were the best.”

 Leigh senior Sohn Nijor shined during the crucial late season matchup.

 “This is by far the biggest game of my high school career,” said Nijor on his performance and team’s victory over Piedmont. “We’re going for a league title and that’s all that matters.”

 What’s Next: Leigh hosts third place Santa Teresa (18-5, 10-3 MHL) on Friday.  A win on Friday, which happens to be senior night for the Longhorns, will make them co-league champions in the MHL.

 Bottom Line: It was a see-saw battle in the first half between Leigh and Piedmont Hills, but Leigh’s aggressive play on both sides of the court were too much for Piedmont to handle as Leigh ran away in the third quarter. As monumental as this is for Leigh, they will have to go through Santa Teresa on Friday to accomplish its ultimate goal. Santa Teresa is the only team other than Leigh to have beaten Piedmont this season.