When the going got tough, Alston Mason got tougher.

Mason, point guard for Blue Valley Northwest, helped lead the No. 2 Huskies to a 54-50 win over No. 4 Staley in the nightcap of the 810 Varsity Shootout at Avila University on Saturday night. 

The 6-foot-2 senior scored 12 of BV Northwest's 14 last points in the final five minutes. After Staley's Asa Bridges stuck back an offensive rebound for the Falcons first - and only lead - of the game at 37-36 with 6:41 left, Ben Fritz put back an offensive rebound to retake the lead. Jack Chapman followed with a double spin move across the lane for a 40-37 edge with 5:09 left.

Then Mason went nuts, with an offensive tipback for a 42-37 lead with 4:49 left, followed by a driving hoop for a 44-37 margin.

Staley fought back with two free throws from 6-foot-5 sophomore Kayden Fish, then a Kendrick Stone steal and Asa Bridges lay-in to pull to 44-41 with 3:19 remaining.

Mason countered with two free throws, then sophomore Grant Stubblefield hit a bucket for a 48-41 lead with 2:10 left.

Bridges hit a baseline three to pull to 48-44, but Mason hit a drive for a 50-44 edge. Staley didn't go away, with a Kyan Evans three-pointer, but Mason hit two free throws to stay at 52-47 with :42 left.

Evans came back with a driving basket to get to 52-520 with :21.5, but Mason hit two free throws with :10 left to seal the game at 54-50.

"We played well and held them offensively, but Mason was just too much at the end," Staley head coach Chris Neff said.

The win marked back-to-back wins over top 5 teams in the 810 Varsity Top 25, as BV Northwest topped No. 5 Blue Valley North, 71-56, on Friday night. Some of that showed early, as the Huskies were cold in the first half, mustering just four points over an 8-minute stretch. After two Mason free throws to lead at 10-3 with 4:19 in the first quarter, BV Northwest converted just a Mason baseline drive and a Ben Fritz spinning left-handed hoop over the next 7:58. But Staley didn't scorch the nets either, and trailed 21-17 at intermission.

"We had two big games this weekend, but two nights the kids really stepped up. They play well together, and just know how to win," said Huskies head coach Ed Fritz. 

Notes:

- The game pitted Neff, who won the EYBL Peach Jam in 2018, against Fritz, who served as the McDonald's All-Star Game head coach in 2019. 

- Blue Valley Northwest improved to 6-5 in the 810 Varsity showcases, while Staley stands at 1-1

Staley (50)
Evans 4 3-3 13, Parker 1 0-0 3, Fish 7 3-4 17, Stone 4 0-0 9, Davis 0 1-2 1, Bridges 3 0-1 7. Totals 19 6-10 50.

BV Northwest (54)
Mason 8 8-9 24, Robinson 2 1-1 6, Chapman 3 4-4 11, Fritz 3 4-5 10, Stubblefield 1 1-2 3. Totals 17 18-21 54.

Three-pointers: Evans 3, Paker, Stone, Bridges; Robinson, Chapman. 

Quarters
Staley                        7 10 16 17 - 50
BV Northwest   12  9 15 18 - 54