(Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
PUEBLO — Making free throws isn’t easy especially in a pressure-packed state championship environment.
The atmosphere obviously didn’t rattle the Sanford boys basketball team.
The Indians made 17 free throws in the fourth quarter to muscle past Akron 58-53 to capture the Class 2A state championship Saturday night at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.
“We practice free throws every night before we leave the gym,” said Sanford senior guard Dalton Rodriguez, who made 3-of-4 free throws in the final quarter and scored 13 points for the game. “Coach (Rhett) Larsen has us make our free throws and that’s one thing we concentrate on and we have confidence that we can make our free throws.”
Sanford finished the season with 26-1 record and claimed the school’s sixth state boys basketball title. Sanford made 17-of-20 free throws in the final quarter, including a team-high six from Calder Larsen.
“We played our type of basketball,” said the veteran coach Larsen, who won his first boys state basketball crown at Sanford. “(Brady) Baer got his points and you can’t hardly stop a guy like that, but our kids played tough and we had a good team effort. “We played hard and played a good game. We shot well and defended well.”
Akron (25-2) was trying to win its first state boys basketball championship since 1989. Brady Baer, who became the Colorado High School all-time boys basketball scoring leader on Thursday, finished with 34 points, 14 of which came in the third quarter.
“We live and die on the 3-pointer and that’s exactly what happens,” said Akron coach Greg Clarkson about what doomed his team in the fourth quarter. “That wasn’t one of Brady’s best shooting nights (Saturday night) and everybody else was tentative. When he (Brady) has to do it all, he gets tired and he was so tired tonight. We came up short, but I’m very proud of my guys.”
The game came down to the final eight minutes as Sanford held a slim 43-41 lead. In the fourth, neither could generate much offense.
When Jared Clarkson made a driving layup with 2:20 left in the game, Akron trailed 44-43.
That’s when the Indians started their free throw shooting clinic.
Larsen’s two free throws at 2:05 stretched Sanford’s lead to 46-43. Rodriguez added a free throw for Sanford and when Miles Caldon sank two free throws at 1:07, the Indians held a 49-43 advantage.
On Akron’s next possession, Baer missed a long-range trey, and Larsen was fouled. The senior proceeded to make two more free throws with 58.9 seconds left, pushing Sanford ahead 51-43.
Akron’s Clarkson answered with a bucket with 50.3 ticks on the clock to get the Rams within 51-45. Rodriguez was immediately fouled and he made two more free throws at 48.6 seconds giving Sanford a 53-45 edge.
Baer followed up with a trey from the top of the key with 40.5 seconds on the clock to cut the deficit to 53-48.
With Akron pushing the tempo, Sanford didn’t wilt.
Chance Canty was fouled at 38.6 seconds and made two free throws giving his team a 55-48 advantage.
Baer answered with another 3-pointer at 28 seconds cutting the deficit to 55-51. Larsen was fouled again and he proceeded to make two more free throws putting Sanford up 57-51.
Baer fired another 3-pointer the next time down the court, but missed and the Rams would get no closer.
“This feels so great to win a state championship,” Rodriguez said.