GW advances with victory in OT
Patriots will face Grandview, which is seeking its first state championship
Senior Jon’il Fuget made seven clutch free throws near the end of overtime to help George Washington pull away for a 47-41 victory over No. 1 Rock Canyon in the Class 5A boys semifinals Friday night at the Denver Coliseum.
Fugett paced the fifth-seeded Patriots (22-5) with 16 points, while the Jaguars (24-3) were led by 16 points from senior Tyson Gilbert and 15 from senior Sam Masten.
George Washington led 29-23 going into the fourth quarter, and Rock Canyon continued to fight back. After Masten hit two free throws to make it 32-20 with 2:58 remaining, Rock Canyon put on a full-court press and the intensity immediately escalated.
Back and forth the baskets went, with George Washington taking a 35-34 lead into the final minute. But Rock Canyon milked the clock in a patient final possession, and Gilbert had a strong finish at the rim to put the Jaguars up with less than 10 seconds to play.
Patriots senior guard Devon Jones then took the ball up the floor and drew a blocking foul. While all seven sections of the Jaguars’ “Canyon Crazies” student section created a deafening atmosphere, Jones missed the first free throw but made the second with 1.6 to play to force OT. girls basketball team hogged local headlines as the defending state champions bruised their way back to the title game.
But the Grandview boys basketball team put the state on notice that it also is worthy of title hype as the No. 6 Wolves upset No. 2 ThunderRidge to advance to their first state championship game in program history.
In a low-scoring game, Wolves sophomore center Caleb McGill tied the game at 28 with a nice move in the paint with less than 30 seconds to play in the third quarter, setting up a battle of two heavyweights in the fourth quarter.
Junior forward Dayne Prim then notched another inside basket to open the fourth quarter, giving the Wolves their first lead since the opening frame and putting ThunderRidge on its heels. And in a game that didn’t have any specific star performances — no player was in double-digit scoring until late in the fourth quarter, and the baskets came tough — it was Prim and McGill who impressed most down the stretch.
Grandview will take on George Washington on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. for the 5A championship.