Recently in Montigo Alford Category

Dorian Cason's inbounds pass with 18.7 seconds left went over Montigo Alford's head, resulting in the final two points of Mitty's 53-50 victory over the SkyHawks. Alford saved the pass, which came from midcourt along the sidelines, under his basket but threw it into the arms of White, who laid it in to give the Lions a 53-50 lead.

Alford dribbled the ball up the court but was off on a contested 3-pointer, leaving Summit just short of a state championship. Both players played their hearts out, with Cason scoring 15 of his game-high 19 points in the second half and pulling down 10 rebounds. He held his own against Mitty sophomore Aaron Gordon, who finished with 17 points and 21 rebounds after having 13 and 12, respectively, in the first half. Alford finished with 14 points for Summit.

The Lions have opened up a five-point lead thanks to the efforts of Brett Younger, who hit two crucial baskets for Archbishop Mitty. However, Aaron Gordon has picked up his fourth foul and is on the bench, so perhaps this is the time for Summit to strike.

The SkyHawks' senior leaders are doing their thing, with Montigo Alford and Dorian Cason scoring 14 points each thus far.

A 3-pointer by Neil Vranicar with 45 seconds left in the third quarter gave Archbishop Mitty the 3-point lead going into the final quarter. Summit tied the game three times in the third period but hasn't been able to take the lead. Montigo Alford has 11 points and four assists to lead the SkyHawks while Dorian Cason has 10 points and eight rebounds.

Aaron Gordon has 17 points and 17 rebounds for Mitty.

Summit has come out firing in the second half, outscoring Mitty 15-8 to tie the game 34-34 with 3:07 left in the third. Montigo Alford has six of his 11 points in the third quarter, also assisting on a dunk by Dorian Cason. Cason now has eight points for the SkyHawks.

The story for Mitty continues to be Aaron Gordon, who has 17 points and 15 rebounds thus far.

The SkyHawks have scored six points in the first 1:18 of the third quarter, moving within 26-25. Montigo Alford, Darrick Arnold and Devon Alexander have each scored, with Alexander making an acrobatic layup to force a 30-second timeout from Mitty.

Sophomore Aaron Gordon has been dominant for the Lions, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the second quarter and pulling down 12 rebounds, allowing Mitty to establish a little cushion. Summit has struggled from the field, only shooting 28.6 percent in the first half. Montigo Alford has five points to lead the SkyHawks, with Darrick Arnold, Dorian Cason and Cameron Lewis adding four points each. Cason also has six rebounds, but Summit was beaten 25-16 on the boards in the first half.

The SkyHawks' D came out playing hard, holding Archbishop Mitty without a point for the first 4:26 of the game. Darrick Arnold scored Summit's first four points, with Dorian Cason adding the next three along with four rebounds. Point guard Montigo Alford has also been active early.

The building process from an overmatched team of freshman and sophomores to a championship-level force has been a gradual one for Summit coach Tony Barile. But as Summit gets ready for its fifth season fresh off an upset of No. 1 seeded Citrus Hill in the first round of last year's Eastern Division playoffs, Barile sees one thing that the SkyHawks need to do to reach the next level.

"We needed to get stronger," Barile said. "The reason we have lot to Palm Springs the last two years in the playoffs was because we weren't strong enough and we wore down in the fourth quarter. That's the one thing we've been doing this summer - hitting the weight room and getting stronger. We want to be able to outlast our opponents."

Strength is important to the SkyHawks because they have the speed and skill necessary to do damage with a little bit of open space. Athletes dot the Summit roster throughout, led by senior quarterback Devon Blackmon.