Mario Finley knows his role

Spencer Patterson

Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998 | 2:36 a.m.

When Las Vegas High's Mario Finley first stepped out on the court for the Wildcats in the winter of 1994, he got rid of the ball as quickly as it came to him.

Although he had played the point guard position on school and club teams his whole life, suddenly he was the only freshman on a Wildcats squad dominated by upper-classmen.

And the responsibility of being the floor leader and key decision maker was making him uncomfortable.

"I was kind of nervous," recalled Finley. "I didn't know what they wanted me to do. I looked for the pass even when I had open looks."

Just four years later, however, there's no one in town with a better understanding of the nuances involved with playing the 'one' spot than Finley.

After more than 100 games in a Wildcats jersey, the 5-foot-7, 160-pound Finley truly has become coach Tom Farnsworth's quarterback on the floor.

"I've given him a lot of leeway in calling plays out, and he's done a good job of mixing it up," said Farnsworth, whose squad will travel to Bishop Gorman tonight at 7 p.m. for a first-round Southern 4A Zone playoff contest.

"He knows he needs to get the team going, get the ball to his shooters and scorers and get his points within the confines of the team scenario."

Above all, Finley has been able to make such critical decisions in the Wildcats' up-tempo offense without making the types of mistakes typical of most point guards his age.

In his team's 16 division contests this season, the 18-year-old has averaged 10.8 points, 6.3 assists and just two turnovers -- staggering offensive numbers considering he also spends half his time pestering the other team's best ball handler in Vegas' aggressive defense.

"Some people wouldn't like the kind of pressure the point guard has," said Finley, one of only six local players selected for the McDonald's High School All-American pool. "But it's a perfect fit for me. I'm really starting to gain the leadership on the team."

For Las Vegas (22-8) to get past the Gaels (17-8) tonight and earn a spot in the zone semifinals, Finley may need to play even a bigger role than usual.

In the tight confines of Gorman's tiny gym, the home crowd will be ready to take him out of his game. His reaction: Bring it on.

"That's a thrill for me," Finley said. "I love when crowds scream at me and make noise. It just makes me play better."

A win tonight will get the Wildcats into next week's state tournament for the third straight year. But after missing out on the zone championship in his first three seasons, Finley isn't planning on resting after one victory.

"Zone's been a problem for us in the past. It isn't a time for joking around and waiting for state," he said. "I tell some of my teammates that, and I feel like I'm getting to them a little bit."

No matter how far Las Vegas gets this postseason, one thing seems certain: his days as an uneasy freshman are far behind him.

Now when Finley gets the ball, the only one feeling uncomfortable is his defender, trying to figure out what the Wildcat point guard might do next.