Inspired by Kobe, Meridian boys rally to end 10-year losing streak to Borah

The Meridian High boys basketball team didn’t lead for a single second in Friday’s game against Borah until the closing minutes.

After gaining the lead with 2:15 left on the clock, No. 5 Meridian held on to beat No. 2 Borah 45-43, snapping a 15-game losing streak to the Lions that dated back to January 2, 2010.

Before the game, Meridian (14-2, 11-2 5A SIC) held an 8-second moment of silence for late NBA star Kobe Bryant, and it was Donovan Sanor, who wears No. 24 in honor of Bryant, who gave Meridian its first lead of the game on a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Meridian coach Jeff Sanor, Donovan’s father, knew that shot meant more than just the lead in a basketball game.

“He loves Kobe. … He loves his game,” Jeff Sanor said. “He loves his attitude. I think he patterns a lot of what he does after Kobe. … Donovan is just a really special player. He lives for those moments.”

Sanor showcased the killer instinct that made the NBA player a legend. He even wore a pair of Bryant’s shoes that he has had for years — ones that had a hole in the sole that he had to tape over with athletic tape. And when the time came, and the spotlight was on him, Donovan Sanor did what his idol would do: He took the shot.

“I’m going to keep that in mind the rest of the season,” Sanor said. “Playing like (Bryant) did, competing like he did and putting in the work like he did.”

Sanor’s 3 put Meridian ahead 42-41, until Borah’s Austin Bolt scored a basket in the post to retake the lead with 1:01 left on the clock. Thirty seconds later, Joe Mpoyo, a junior guard, hit a 3 in the corner to give Meridian its final lead.

“I couldn’t even think,” Mpoyo said. “I was excited.”

For the first three quarters of the game, every time Meridian threatened to take the lead, Borah (13-3, 10-3) would hit a couple of shots and push its lead back close to double digits. Ray Ray Bergersen, who finished with 17 points for Borah as the game’s leading scorer, hit three straight 3-pointers to give Borah a 39-27 lead with 1 minute left in the third. However, Meridian only let Borah score four points in the fourth quarter.

“We didn’t do anything different defensively,” Jeff Sanor said. “It just came down to competing a little harder. The guys just made the decision to compete every second. That was the difference.”

Meridian finished the first half with nine turnovers, but cut that down to only two in the second half. Brody Rowbury, who is top five in the conference in points per game (15.8), rebounds per game (7.8) and blocks per game (1.9), was held to six points on the night, but his team still found a way to win.

“This team has got a level of mental toughness that is hard to describe,” Jeff Sanor said. “They know that they can play with anybody. They know it. They also know they are going to get everybody’s best shot, and I believe we got Borah’s best shot tonight.”

Bolt finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds, but no other Borah player scored more than six, whereas Meridian was led by Sanor and Jordan Pearce, both with nine points. McKay Anderson added eight points and five assists for Meridian.

This story was originally published February 1, 2020 at 12:03 AM.