Holy Family stakes its claim to 4A semis berth
Tigers not fazed by Coliseum atmosphere
The “shooter’s eye”, as they call it in basketball, can feel like the better-to-worse switch at the optometrist when prep hoopers arrive at the Denver Coliseum.
A backdrop of infinity compared to the tight high school gymnasium — this is the place shooting can often go to mush.
Holy Family coach Pete Villecco told his boys this ahead of Friday’s Class 4A quarterfinal. His team buried jumpers at will, anyway.
Gabe Tafoya had 15 points, Eric Quintana’s 12 all came from deep, and the No. 17 Tigers shot lights out to beat No. 8 Colorado Academy, 60-43, advancing to the state semifinals for the first time since 2019.
“It’s funny because we talked this week about the team that plays closest to the rim in a big arena usually wins,” Villecco laughed. “And here we are hitting 3s, so I don’t know if that theory flew.”
The Tigers (15-11) shot 50% from the field (19 of 38) and from behind the arc (11 of 22), and moved a close game into a laugher on the back of a 23-3 third quarter.
“It’s the trust we have in each other,” Quintana said. “We know if we make that extra pass, we know that it’s going to go down. And even if it misses, we know the next one is going in.”
Jaxon Grable added all eight of his points during a 21-0 run that finally ended in the first minute of the fourth. He, Ben Harste, Quintana and Tafoya each had 3s during it, pushing the lead to 43-21 with 7:45 remaining.
The second half dominance, and especially the one-way third, mirrored what the Tigers did at No. 1 Kent Denver in the round of 16 last week, where they shot 54% from the field and 10 of 21
from deep, rallying from a first-half deficit to beat the Sun Devils by 27.
Holy Family has won the third quarter by a combined 54-8 in its past two games.
“They couldn’t get a shot off in the third quarter against us,” Tafoya said. “And we got out in transition and ran.”
Earlier, Tafoya drained a pair of 3s on his first two shots to usher a 6-0 start. Quintana followed with another two from deep on his opening attempts, pushing an early lead to nine.
Tafoya finished 5 of 10 from the field and 3 for 5 from 3. Quintana was 4 of 7 from long range.
Grayden Harkness added six points, scoring four straight to end a scoreless drought of 6 minutes, 11 seconds in the waning minutes before the break. Quintana hit his third straight 3 to put the Tigers up 19-18 at half.
Holy Family will play the winner of No. 4 Eagle Ridge Academy and No. 12 Pueblo Central, which played later Friday night.