Canyon Springs upsets Las Vegas in Sunrise semifinals to give coach Freddie Banks win for Tark

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 | 7:41 p.m.

The Canyon Springs High basketball team trailed by seven points less than 30 seconds into today’s Sunrise Regional semifinals against Las Vegas.

Canyon Springs coach Freddie Banks, one of the stars of UNLV’s 1987 Final Four team, quickly called a timeout. What would Tark say surely crossed Banks’ mind.

Jerry Tarkanian was more than Banks’ coach at UNLV — he was a mentor and father figure. While balancing his coaching duties this week, Banks was always grieving Tarkanian’s death.

So, in Tark fashion, he told players he believed in them and to remain calm. Canyon Springs responded with a 16-2 scoring run to take the lead for good, eliminating Las Vegas with a 79-62 victory.

Banks and assistant coach Eldridge Hudson, another UNLV great, coached with the Tarkanian tribute towels on their shoulders. Both were at the hospital for Tark’s final hours. An emotional Hudson said he channeled Tark’s spirit for guidance.

“Very tough week. It’s OK,” Banks said. “He’s by my side. He’s right there on my shoulder.”

Like Tarkanian’s UNLV teams, Canyon Springs pushes the ball up the court and plays relentless defense — regardless of how much time is left in the game.

In the fourth quarter, with Canyon Springs comfortably ahead by double digits, Channel Banks had an open look at a 3-pointer. Basketball strategy says to not attempt the shot and run time off the clock. Coach Banks’ strategy is different.

“If it’s a wide open shot, you have to shoot the ball, or you have to come sit next to me,” Banks said.

Channel Banks drilled the 3-pointer to extend the Canyon Springs lead. He finished with a game-high 28 points, including 13 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Canyon Springs is the two-time defending Sunrise Region champions, but Las Vegas was the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament after winning the Northeast League title. Last week, it beat Canyon Springs by nearly 30 points.

But during the playoffs, Canyon Springs always seems to take their intensity up a notch. The Pioneers, especially when playing in transition, are tough to slow down.

“We let each other know we don’t want the season to end,” said Jordan Davis, Canyon Springs’ senior guard who finished with 18 points and nearly 10 assists. “You can get knocked off every day. You have to bring it every time. When you get too relaxed, that is when you get knocked off.”

Las Vegas trimmed its deficit to two points with 4:45 to play in the third quarter on a 3-pointer from Devon Colley, but Canyon Springs scored the next six points courtesy of Davis’ ability to get to the rim. He scored once and passed to wide open teammates for a pair of easy baskets for the other points.

In the last meeting against Las Vegas, Davis didn’t play. He was clearly the difference tonight.

“Tonight, Jordan was in the zone,” Banks said. “It’s senior leadership. When you have a guy like Jordan Davis in there who knows what it takes to win, that’s senior leadership."

Patrick Savoy Jr. scored the initial seven points of the game for Las Vegas and finished with 20. Canyon Springs lacks size on the inside, but Las Vegas’ 6-foot-7 junior center Tyler Bey picked up two quick fouls and spent most of the first half on the bench. Bey scored 12 points, all in the second half.

“They beat us by 20 last time. We definitely wanted to get revenge,” Channel Banks said. “This is how we should have played against them the first two times.”

Canyon Springs, who has won three of the last four Sunrise titles, advance to Friday’s championship game to face the winner of Valley-Coronado.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21