Eaglecrest drops top-seed Fruita Monument 61-53
With Jhett Wells charging down the court and a onepossession game in his sights with less than 90 seconds left, all that stood between the Fruita Monument sophomore and the basket was Sirdevin Roberts.
The one thing going through the Eaglecrest senior’s mind: Don’t jump.
“I knew he was going to try to make me jump, so I had to stay disciplined and I stayed down and just got the steal,” Roberts said. “I just knew I had to lock in.”
Roberts did just that, ripping the ball away and sending it to a streaking Garrett Barger (18 points, 14 rebounds) for a twohanded slam that proved enough to secure a 61-53 win for No. 8 Eaglecrest boys over top-seeded Fruita Monument in Thursday night’s Great 8 inside Denver Coliseum.
Next up is No. 4 Thunderridge on March 8 in the Raptors’ first Final Four trip since 2017.
The failed fast-break was one of two shots the previously unbeaten Wildcats (251) had directly in front of the hoop to pull within two after being down as many 20 in the third quarter. They converted neither, and also shot just 6 of 15 from the free throw line, as their first loss also ended up being their last game.
Junior point guard Ladavian King (15 points, five assists) was instrumental in pushing the Raptors (19-7) out to their early lead, with one of his five assists finding Kris Coleman for a corner 3-pointer that put them ahead 38-18 early in the third quarter.
The Raptors held on for dear life after that, with Fruita getting as close as three with 4:25 left on the last of Max Orchard’s 12 points. Daniel Thomason added 18 points, nine rebounds and two tomahawk dunks for Fruita, while Wells finished with 14 points
NO. 6 VALOR CHRISTIAN 66, NO. 3 CHAPARRAL 46 >> The Eagles soundly beat the Wolverines (20-6) behind tight defense and a stellar performance by Ryan Dixon.
The senior forward led the Eagles (24-2) with 23 points on 8 of 8 from the field, 1 of 1 from three and 6 of 7 from the line. Meanwhile, senior point guard Cole Scherer added 19 points and senior guard Eli Kim chipped in 13 points.
GIRLS
NO. 7 REGIS JESUIT 50, NO. 2 CHERRY CREEK 44 >> In a game where offense was often hard to come by, Coryn Watts came to the rescue.
The senior guard converted a critical four-point play to give Regis Jesuit a seven-point cushion late in the third quarter, then put things away with an and-one layup with 1:33 left, as the Raiders held on to beat Cherry Creek and advance to the Final Four for the first time in three years.
Watts finished with a gamehigh 17 points, as Regis (197) outlasted a second-seeded Bruins (21-5) team missing its leading scorer, Tianna Chambers. The junior guard watched the game from the bench, wearing a large brace after suffering a knee injury in the first round of the playoffs.
Hana Belibi added 11 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks for the Raiders, who will face Legend on March 7. Sophomore Addison Beck led the Bruins with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting.
NO. 1 CHEROKEE TRAIL 47, NO. 9 MULLEN 39 >> The Cougars put it all together down the stretch, outscoring upset-minded Mullen 8-0 in the final 90 seconds to secure a berth in the Final Four. Junior Delainey Miller led the way with 19 points and junior Maddy Gibbs scored 11, including a huge 3-pointer late in fourth quarter.
Cherokee Trail (24-2) will face No. 4 Valor Christian in next week’s semifinals. Allison Schwertner led Mullen (17-9) with 10 points.
NO. 2 VALOR CHRISTIAN 61, NO. 12 ROCK CANYON 43 >> Valor used stifling first-quarter defense and excellent ball movement and passing in the second to pull away early.
The Eagles (21-5), led by sophomore Camryn Gunter’s 18 points, are headed to the Final Four for the fourth time in five years. Rock Canyon (20-6) was led by guard Alyssa Goode’s 13 points.