(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
CENTENNIAL — Last Friday, Eaglecrest had jumped out to a 36-16 lead over Grandview before ultimately losing the game.
Coach John Olander was going to make sure that didn’t happen again.
The CHSAANow.com No. 7 Raptors dominated defensively, allowing zero points in the fourth quarter, to beat No. 5 Cherry Creek 69-32.
Eaglecrest (10-3 overall, 4-1 Centennial) looked much more like that team that came into the season with a No. 1 ranking rather than the team that has let a couple of games slip away from them
“Tonight it showed that when we play together, we’re a great team,” senior Colby Ross said. “If we get lazy, we showed what can happen against Grandview.”
Ross led all scorers with 16 points. He scored the first five points of the game, helping the Raptors jump out to a 16-10 lead after the first quarter.
The Bruins (12-2, 4-1) had difficulty on both sides of the ball. They had trouble countering Eaglecrest’s zone press which led to turnovers and even when they could get the ball down the floor, had difficulty getting open looks and knocking down shots.
“It was a good test,” Cherry Creek coach Kent Dertinger said. “And we failed. I think it shows we have a long way to go. But it’s a long season and it’s a character builder.”
Already down 18 at halftime, the Bruins couldn’t stop the Raptors from starting the third quarter on a 12-4 run. A game that was supposed to feature a marquee matchup was suddenly getting out of hand.
“That’s what we focus on in practice is putting pressure on people,” Ross said. “I just think everyone stepped up tonight.”
Eaglecrest also got double-digit scoring efforts from Ikenna Ozor (14) and Josh Walton (10). The group of seniors that have experienced heartbreak in two Final 4s and a Great 8 seem poised to make a run at a state title this season.
“Our guys accepted the challenge,” Olander said. “We have a lot of guys who can come in and make plays on the offensive end and rebound.”
But the Centennial League should be paying close attention to Eaglecrest’s defensive effort. Jalen Meeks led the Bruins with 14 points, but no other Cherry Creek player scored more than five.
They held a 56-32 lead heading into the fourth quarter, but refused to let up on that side of the ball. The pressure and the building frustration from the Bruins were good enough keep Cherry Creek scoreless in the final eight minutes of the game.
“(They have) five seniors on the floor that played for a state championship last year,” Dertinger said. “We knew what we were getting into and we just didn’t handle it as well as we should have.”
The Bruins will try to bounce back against No. 4 Grandview on Saturday, the same team that erased a 20-point Eaglecrest lead last week.
The Raptors face a tough three-game stretch with all of them on the road. They’ll head to Smoky Hill on Friday before heading to Denver East and Cherokee Trail next week.
“We have five out of the last seven at our place,” Olander said. “So if we can get through the next couple ones and we’re feeling good, then I like our chances in the second half of the season.”