Kicking off the season with the Paradise Valley Invitational Tournament, the basketball team looked to start the year rolling. The tournament, held on Thanksgiving weekend at Paradise Valley high school, included 12 schools, boasting teams such as Cesar Chavez, Desert Ridge and Dobson.

Perry’s first game against the Sandra Day O’Connor Eagles finished in a 77-42 blowout. Shutting down any sort of O’Connor offense, the Pumas held the Eagles to just 22 points in the first half. The lopsided victory was lead by the team’s leading scorer, Markus Howard. The freshman guard scored 21 points and contributed with an assist.

 In the second game of the tournament, the Pumas ran past McClintock with a final score of 73-53. Although scoring was rationed among the team more equally, senior guard Jordan Howard led with 21 points. Contributions also included sophomore Bryce Fisher’s 6 points and senior forward Geoffrey Vredevoogd’s 7 rebounds.

 Led by Markus Howard’s 40 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, Perry routed the Dobson Mustangs in the semi-final game by a score of 84-60. The Howard duo alone contributed to nearly two-thirds of Perry’s score, with Jordan Howard tallying 12 points and 2 assists. Dobson, who is pre-season ranked number 13 in the state by Arizona Varsity, came into the game beating both of their previous opponents by 15 points or more.

 In the tournament final Perry faced off against the Desert Ridge Jaguars. Heading into the tournament championship, both teams had earned an undefeated record of 3-0. As expected, the game came down to one possession, with the pumas pulling out a 60-58 victory. Three pointers were essential, as nearly a third of their offense came from beyond the arc.

Jordan Howard received the MVP award for the tournament, while Markus Howard was in the top three for the accolade. Markus Howard was also placed on the all-tournament team. The pumas, now with a record of 4-0, look towards their next matchup against 1-1 Westwood Warriors, coming off of a 69-43 win over Douglas.