The St. Mary’s team that beat Colorado Springs Christian School on Thursday is very different from the one at the start of the season. 

In fact, the Pirates boys didn’t really expect to reach the Great 8 at all, let alone take down the Lions 67-60 to advance to Friday’s 3A boys basketball Final Four.  

But over the course of the season, St. Mary’s has developed a team-focused mindset to put together a 19-7 record, including four straight wins, on its way to its first semifinal appearance since 2022.

“We get frustrated easily, start playing the blame game,” St. Mary’s coach Trey Harris said. “We have done that all year, but we weathered the storm today. The biggest challenge has been selfish play early, but we are sharing the ball more and starting to believe.”

The shift in team culture came after a 76-59 loss to CSCS on Jan. 31. The Pirates lost two of three games after falling to the Lions and needed to work together to get their momentum back. 

“Our low point was losing to CSCS, but we’re playing our best basketball now,” sophomore Cruz Artaechevarria, who had seven points Thursday, said. “We’re communicating better and hanging outside of basketball more to build our chemistry.”

That newfound chemistry was apparent in Thursday’s win, in which the players shared the ball to put six players on the board, including three in double digits. St. Mary’s also handled business on defense, with 10 steals and 13 forced turnovers. 

“It was a tough game for sure. They came out strong,” CSCS senior Maximiliano Cota-Cordova said. “We weren’t shooting well at all. They played good defense and wanted it more than we did today.”

The biggest focus for the Pirates was keeping the ball away from Cota-Cordova and sophomore Sam Salsbery, who averaged 23.8 and 17.1 points a game, respectively.  

“Not going to lie, we were pretty nervous, but we all performed,” Artaechevarria said. “We applied pressure, staying composed, and executed for the most part. I’m proud of us.”

“I think the jitters are out,” Harris added. “First time a lot of them are playing on a stage like this, so the next game we are going to keep doing what we are doing, tighten up early on. Try to be more patient and keep guys accountable.” 

In his third year as head coach, Harris is happy to see his team’s growth. His last two years have been rebuilding years, but with an older, stronger and more experienced roster, this team is starting to realize its potential. 

“I feel good about this team,” Artaechevarria said. “This season has had its ups and downs, but we’ve grown throughout the season. When you get through hard things with your teammates, you grow so much as a team.”