Harrison boys basketball will return to this chapter of its rivalry with Sierra for years to come. 

The Panthers opened their game at Sierra on a 20-3 run against the Stallions and never relented en route to a 65-21 win Saturday. 

This marks Harrison’s fourth victory in five tries against Sierra and their second consecutive win  by 36 or more points. 

“This was a result of all of our efforts from practice,” Harrison’s Jeilo Hamenyimana said. “We go hard in practice all week and then we execute it in the game. Sometimes, we’re tired at practice and we just want to get to the games. But practice is what makes us go hard and have success on the court. If we don’t work hard in practice, we won’t be able to execute in the game.” 

The Panthers (7-3) have displayed execution through 10 games. The Panthers finished 5-18 last year and didn’t have a winning streak longer than two games. With the victory against Sierra (0-9), the Panthers now have won four in a row, their second streak of three or more this season. 

Harrison entered the matchup with the Stallions riding the wave of a key win against Lewis-Palmer, who the Panthers defeated 70-69 on Tuesday to end a seven-game skid against the Rangers. 

But the Panthers knew that victory against Lewis-Palmer did nothing for their contest against the Stallions, thus the hot start, especially for Hamenyimana, who dissected the Stallions’ defense in the first. 

Hamenyimana opened the day with three 3-pointers for the Panthers and finished the period with 12 of Harrison’s 20 points. 

The Panthers senior closed the second with six points and 18 for the half, which is where Hamenyimana finished after sitting the majority of the second half. 

“We couldn’t get caught up in all of the distractions,” Hamenyimana said. “I got to my spots and knew when to shoot, when to pass, when to cut, box out, rebounding. I looked for my teammates when they were open and that helped me play my role and get everyone else involved.”

Eight different Panthers scored including Jashawn Nobles, who led Harrison’s second half scoring charge and poured in 12 points in the final two periods. 

The Panthers held the Stallions to 9 second half points and allowed just two Sierra third quarter buckets. 

“This sort of win helps bring us together,” Hamenyimana said. “Last season, we weren’t really together. It was more like, ‘give the ball to him and let him do whatever.’ This year, we swing the ball and we’re playing more like a team and it’s showing.” 

Stallions girls earn 40-22 victory over Panthers

Since 2012, Sierra is 22-1 against their District 2 rival and have not dropped a contest to Harrison since a 59-53 loss to the Panthers in February 2019. 

The Stallions earned their seventh consecutive Superintendent Cup trophy with a 40-22 victory against Harrison. 

“It feels good knowing this is my last year and we’re still going to have the trophy,” Sierra senior Deja Burns said. “I’m proud of my team and we held it together and pushed through.” 

This is the Stallions’ third time in the past 10 meetings holding Harrison under 30 points and it’s the fewest points allowed in the matchup since a 72-10 victory in January 2017. The win pushed Sierra to 4-6 while the Panthers dropped to 0-9. 

“We go into every game knowing that we have to play to win,” Burns said. “We play together and make sure everyone is in the right spot. Even when people get in our head, we make sure we’re there to pick each other up and make sure everyone plays to the best of their abilities.”