Doherty’s Brevin Brimble (3) is honored for his 1,000th career point. (Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
COLORADO SPRINGS — Brevin Brimble ended his night tied for his season-low 17 points scored. But he was honored after the game and had a smile that wouldn’t leave his face.
His two-point floater to get point 17 was key in Doherty holding off Regis Jesuit 59-56. But it also gave him a career milestone. It was Brimble’s 1,000th point in a Spartans uniform. For the team and for Brimble, it just appears to be that kind of year.
The Spartans (6-1 overall) led by 11 after the third quarter, but went through a severe scoring drought – Brimble included – in the fourth quarter.
“I thought the start (of the second half) was great,” Doherty coach Jarris Krapcha said. “We fell off, we had a big scoring drought and some traveling calls that didn’t go our way and took some points off the board.”
Brimble didn’t get his first points until there was 1:20 left on the clock in the first quarter. He knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the Raiders (3-5) lead to 14-12. He added another bucket in the final minute.
He added six points in the second quarter to end the first half with 11, but had no idea where he was in terms of career scoring.
“I knew at the end of last year I was around 700,” Brimble said. “I didn’t know I had reached that point this year and my teammates and everybody weren’t telling me.”
They wanted it to be a surprise because the team and coaching staff had signed a commemorative ball ahead of time.
But step No. 1 in starting that celebration was getting a win.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Spartans went into the third quarter leading by double-digits, but in no way was a Ken Shaw-coached team going to let that stand.
Connor Hobbs scored seven of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 59-56.
The Raiders upped the pressure defensively and nearly came away with a steal, but traveled at mid-court. They fouled Emmanuel Burleson, who missed the front end of a one-and-one giving Regis Jesuit one last chance to tie the game.
Sam Bannec was able to get a 3-point attempt away, but it was no good and the Spartans defended their home court against a traditional Colorado basketball powerhouse.
The Raiders have stumbled out of the gate this season, but hanging on against the CHSAANow.com No. 6 team in Class 5A is something that will benefit them in the long run.
“It’s invaluable,” Shaw said. “You can’t duplicate this stuff in practice, to play a team with a guard like (Brimble) and some good bigs and having to adjust like that.”
After the game, the Spartans presented Brimble a commemorative basketball celebrating his 1,000 points, which he hit on the nose.
“Him getting 1,000 points, I think he really needed that so people can finally recognize him as the good player he is,” Burleson said. “His name’s forever on the wall and he gets the respect that he deserves.”
Lost in the hunt for point 1,000 was the fact that the team only led 57-51 at that point and still had to close out the game.
“My big man Joe (Golden) smacked me and said ‘good job on 1K, now let’s get this W,'” Brimble said.
And that’s what they did. Now the focus for the team is on Thursday’s game with Vista Ridge. And with an individual milestone out of the way, the players are now focused on team milestones and a big win over Regis Jesuit is a great start.
“That’s the type of team we’re going to play in the playoffs,” Brimble said. “Playing them early in the season helps us get to the point where we’ll need to be in March.”