Fulcher delivers in clutch again, sending Regis Jesuit to Final 4

Tarea Fulcher did it again.

A week after taking down Highlands Ranch in the Sweet 16 with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Regis Jesuit senior conjured up some more lategame magic in a dramatic 47- 46 win over secondseeded Rock Canyon in the Class 6A Great 8 late Saturday night.

In one fell swoop, Fulcher avenged RJ’S most painful loss of the season and sent the seventhseeded Raiders to the boys basketball Final 4 for the first time since 2011 with a coast-to- coast and- one lay-up that nearly blew the roof off Denver Coliseum.

“We lost on a game-winning shot (in the first meeting with Rock Canyon),” Fulcher said. “I guess we just won on a game-winning shot.”

After guard Gavin Hershberger sank two free throws to give Rock Canyon a 46- 44 lead with 10.9 seconds to go, Fulcher dribbled the length of the court, threw in a lay-up off glass and drew a foul. With the game hanging in the balance, and the Canyon Crazies making plenty of noise on the opposite end of the Coliseum, Fulcher stepped up and knocked down the go- ahead free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining.

The last- second shot that sent Rock Canyon to a 59- 57 victory over Regis on Jan. 20 in Aurora wasn’t there this time, as Hershberger’s desperation half- court heave failed to draw iron, setting off a frenzied celebration in a packed Raiders (20- 6) student section. Regis will face No. 3 Fossil Ridge in the Final 4 next Friday at 12:45 p.m.

The entire sequence followed a wild 60 seconds of play that saw Regis tie the score after being down 4440 with 1:15 to go.

After a Regis timeout, junior guard Damarius Taylor fed senior Nick Frontz in front of the hoop to pull within two. Then, with Rock Canyon trying to run out the clock up two, Hershberger threw the ball to Regis while falling out of bounds, leading to a Joe Dorais bucket the other way after the officials whistled the Jaguars for a controversial goaltending call.

“We’ve been in this position about 12 times this season,” Fulcher said. “So (the message with 1:15 left was) just attack how we have all season, just keep grinding, play good defense and get stops.”

Hershberger finished with a game- high 22 points on 6- of-13 shooting in a valiant effort for the Jaguars (23-3). Fulcher had 16 points and two assists, while Taylor had 15 points, six rebounds and three assists for Regis.