Sophomore guard Oakland Fort played maybe the best game of his young high school career in top-ranked Phoenix Sunnyslope’s biggest game of the year.

Fort had 34 points, including a ferocious dunk in the fourth quarter, leading Sunnyslope to  a 74-67 6A boys basketball semifinal victory over visiting Phoenix Brophy Prep on Thursday night before an electric crowd.

It had a championship atmosphere with both schools having student sections and the gym nearly full.

But the biggest game is Saturday at 7:30 p.m., at Gilbert Mesquite, where the Vikings (20-1) will play Phoenix Mountain Pointe (15-5) for the state championship. Mountain Pointe was 1 and Sunnyslope 2 by The Arizona Republic in the Preseason Super 10.

This was Fort’s kind of stage, creating for shots, pulling up for 3-pointers, drawing fouls, and basically putting the Vikings on his shoulders.

“He was just a difference maker,” Sunnyslope coach Ray Portela said of Fort. “Great players make great plays. He carried us in the first half. We were having trouble getting it going. The pressure bothered us a little bit.

“But he’s tough. He’s just a dynamic guard. He’s shifty.”

Sunnyslope’s defense set the tone early when the Vikings jumped out to a 15-5 lead with 6-foot-8 Elijah Saunders and Grady Lewis and Fort all making plays at both ends of the court.

Fort knocked down successive 3-pointers late in the second quarter, giving Sunnyslope a 33-20 lead.

In the second half, Sunnyslope didn’t make nearly as many stops with Patrick Chew and Desi Burrage going to work for Brophy.

Brophy (17-6) cut it to 50-48 on Burrage’s drive with 6 minutes left.

But Sunnyslope did a great job taking care of the ball the rest of the way, forcing Brophy to put it on the line.

Fort made 4 of 4 free throws, then put the game away in the last three minutes with a dunk and a 3-pointer, stretching Sunnyslope’s lead to 62-51.

“I think we got a little rattled but at the end of the day we won,” Fort said. “We just had to keep our heads, stay level the whole game. I felt we did a good job of that and that’s why we came out with the win.”

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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