University of Utah basketball coach Ray Giocoletti was among the hundreds of fans crammed shoulder to shoulder in Judge's gymnasium Friday to witness a showdown between two of the state's best teams.
In addition to watching Judge's Daniel Deane, who's already committed to the Utes, Giocoletti was also there to observe the emerging star in a Highland uniform.
Steve Panos tallied a game-high 19 points, while helping limit Deane to just eight as Highland earned an impressive 59-46 victory over the Bulldogs.
"Coming into this, everyone was talking about Deane going to Utah," said the Rams' Les Brown, who transferred from Judge to Highland after last season. "You've got to give a lot of credit to Deane, but Panos has been working hard, he's put countless hours in the gym, and he really stepped it up tonight. He really showed everyone what kind of player he is."
You can bet Giocoletti noticed.
"Panos has been the difference all year," said Highland coach Keith West. "He's a load."
The 6-foot-7 Panos showed off his college-type skills during an early second-half stretch that blew the game wide open.
With his team leading 28-25 at the half, Panos came out and scored six of Highland's first eight points as the Rams (4-0) increased their lead to 36-26 over the Bulldogs (6-1). Six points was the closest Judge would get the rest of the way.
Highland simply continued pounding it into Panos, who scored seven of his points in the fourth quarter.
Panos wasn't the only Highland player who came up big. Brown finished with 11 points, and buried two huge 3-pointers for the Rams during a crucial stretch in the second quarter. After a 9-2 Judge run had given the Bulldogs a 20-18 lead, Brown scored six of Highland's final eight points to close the half.
Playing against his old teammates in his old gym, Brown admits he wasn't sure how his shot would feel on Friday night. It obviously didn't take long for muscle memory to take over.
"This gym was packed. I've never seen a high school gym like that in my life. It was amazing to be apart of that," said Brown.
While Brown helped Highland shoot a respectable 19 of 46 from the field, his defense was instrumental in limiting Judge to a dismal 17 of 54 from the field, as no Bulldog scored in double figures.
"He hit some shots. He's been struggling. He put a little extra work in and tonight he had a little success," said West about Brown.
The Rams' leading scorer Jake Orchard chipped in with 14 points, despite constant harassment around the perimeter from Judge's defense.
No. 1 Highland will now take a week off before traveling to San Diego for an after-Christmas basketball tournament. Judge, meanwhile, has four straight road games before kicking off region play at home on Jan. 6.
E-mail: jedward@desnews.com