*NOTE* THE PHOENIX STARTED THE FIRST HALF OF THE PSL WEST 4-0... THEN GO 0-3 IN NEXT THREE LEAGUE GAMES.

GAME ONE : DETROIT COOLEY HASN'T BEATEN RENAISSANCE SINCE NICHOLS TOOK OVER BUT HAS HAD ITS CHANCES. THE FIRST GAME THIS SEASON FOUND THE PHOENIX WINNING JUST BY TWO. PRESEASON THEY HAD COOLEY RANKED AS THE BEST TEAM ON THE WESTSIDE, SO THE PHOENIX KNEW THEY HAD A TOUGH GAME ON THEIR HANDS. FROM THE START, THE GAME STARTED OFF ROCKY. THE REFS CALLED ATLEAST 8 TRAVELLING CALL, MEANING THAT THIS ONE WAS GOING TO BE CLOSE. COOLEY LED AFTER THE FIRST QUARTER 11-10 AND WITH PHOENIX GUARD GERALD JOHNSON IN FOUL TROUBLE. THE SECOND QUARTER BELONGED TO THE PHOENIX AND SCORE GOING INTO THE HALF WAS 22-16 IN FAVOR OF RENAISSANCE. THE THIRD QUARTER THE COOLEY CARDINALS PLAYED INSPIRED BASKETBALL AND OUTSCORED THE PHOENIX 22-8 AND NEVER LOOKED BACK. THE HALF WAS PLAYED AT A COOLEY PACE THAT INCLUDED 55 FREE THROWS FROM BOTH TEAMS COMBINED. WITH GERALD JOHNSON FOULING OUT EARLY IN THE 4TH, RENAISSANCE HAD TROUBLE SCORING AND LOSS 54-47. CHENE PHILLIPS LED THE PHOENIX WITH 18 POINTS. MIKE HUNDLEY HAD 8 POINTS AND 5 BLOCKS FOR THE PHOENIX.

PHOENIX BOX SCORE (COOLEY)

GAME TWO: THE PHOENIX HAVING LOST A TOUGH ONE TO COOLEY NEEDED TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH A WIN AGAINST FORD. HOWEVER, THAT WOULDN'T BE THE CASE... THE PHOENIX WEREN'T PLAYING WITH A FULL DECK AGAINST HENRY FORD. SENIOR CHENE PHILLIPS WOULDN'T BE AVAILABLE TO PLAY WHICH LEFT THE PHOENIX IN A 23 POINT HOLE FROM THE JUMP. HOWEVER, THE PHOENIX WOULD JUMP OUT ON THE TROJANS EARLY AND TAKE A 9-2 LEAD. AFTER A TIMEOUT BY HENRY FORD, RENAISSANCE WOULD SCORE ONLY EIGHT MORE POINTS GOING INTO HALFTIME DOWN 28-20. THE THIRD QUARTER WAS MUCH OF THE SAME, RENAISSANCE MAKING 9-10 FROM THE LINE BUT ONLY MAKING TWO FIELD GOALS IN THE QUARTER. HENRY FORD WOULD PLAY SOLID AND GAIN AND 12 POINT LEAD AND KEEPING IT THERE TO FINISH THE GAME OUT WINNING 67-55. JUNIOR GUARD GERALD JOHNSON LED THE PHOENIX WITH 17 POINTS AND SOPHOMORE JALEN SIMS ADDED 13 POINTS. HENRY FORD WAS LED BY WARREN JACKSON SCORING A TEAM HIGH 26 POINTS.

PHOENIX BOX SCORE (FORD)

GAME THREE: BACKS AGAINST THE WALL, THE PHOENIX NEEDED THIS WIN TO GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS. THE BAD THING ABOUT THAT WAS, SO DID CODY... IT WAS A MUST-WIN FOR BOTH TEAMS. THE GAMEPLAN FOR THE PHOENIX WAS NOT TO LET RICHARD CARTER, WHO HAD 28 IN THE FIRST MEETING, BEAT THEM. CODY HAD THE SAME GAMEPLAN, MAKE SOMEBODY OTHER THAN CHENE PHILLIPS BEAT YOU... THE FIRST QUARTER WENT TO THE PHOENIX WITH THEIR GAMEPLAN GOING WELL. CARTER HAD JUST 3 POINTS THE WHOLE HALF AND NO MADE FIELD GOALS. PHILLIPS WOULD FIND A WAY TO SCORE 11 POINTS IN THE HALF. THE BIG FACTOR WOULD BE EACH TEAMS ROLE PLAYERS. ANGELO LEWIS FOR CODY PICKED UP WHERE CARTER SLACKED AND SCORD 16 1ST HALF POINTS ALMOST OUTSCORING THE PHOENIX BENCH, WHO COULD ONLY COME UP WITH 21 POINTS COMBINED. THE 25-17 SECOND QUARTER SET THE TONE FOR THE GAME THAT THE COMETS COULD WIN WITH THEIR STAR STRUGGLING. CODY OUTSCORED THE PHOENIX IN THE SECOND HALF39-21 AND FIND THEMSELVES IN THE PLAYOFFS WITH A 68-51 WIN AT HOME. RICHARD CARTER FINISHED WITH 21 POINTS AND ANGELO LEWIS HAS 22 POINTS FOR CODY. RENAISSANCE WAS LED BY CHENE PHILLIPS WITH A GAME-HIGH 26 POINTS.

PHOENIX BOX SCORE (MUMFORD)