More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
DENVER — Denver East High School was the place to be as a showdown between two of Colorado’s top 10 ranked squads pitted No.6 Denver East against No.4 Regis Jesuit (13-2) Wednesday night.
The game lived up to expectations as it came down to the wire, but Regis Jesuit was able to prevail for the 61-58 victory.
The game began as any spectator would wish for when two heavyweight squads collide; a back and forth affair with both teams trading punch after punch.
Both teams had four players get on the board in the first quarter while being led by their respective big men: Daytone Jennings of Denver East and Mark Reininger for Regis.
Midway through the second, Regis (14-2 overall) broke through as they found a rhythm offensively with fluid ball movement to go along with sound pick and roll execution. The Raiders consistently knifed their way through the Angels’ zone, allowing them to strike on an 8-3 scoring run on the backs of guards Elijah Martinez and Connor Hobbs.
“They had their way with us. They had their way with us all night,” Denver East coach Rudy Carey stated in disgust after the loss Wednesday night. “Their guards kicked our guards’ butts.”
Coming out of the half down 33-27, Denver East (10-6) seemingly clamped down defensively, as they found a way to disrupt the pick and roll game of Regis and halt ball movement. As a result, the third quarter practically became a track meet giving the advantage in this style of play to the Angels.
Denver East senior Deron Harrell flourished in the up-tempo pace of the third quarter as he alone injected life back into his team with a turnaround short-corner jumper over two Raiders for a quick deuce, following it up with a ferocious block the next sequence down on defense.
Harrell had help from Jennings as he converted a bucket and foul shot to get his team within one point heading into the fourth period, 42-41.
At that point, the East student section was back into the game and momentum seemed to be swinging with Regis limping into the final quarter of regulation, clinging to their minuscule lead.
To begin the fourth, it seemed as if the Angels would take command of the game as Kwane Marble nailed a three to not only keep his team’s momentum alive, but also give his team the lead since early in the first period.
Regis on the other hand didn’t panic, as they cashed in on two offensive possessions to take the lead once again. From there, it was back to a heavyweight bout with each team one-upping each other each time down on offense.
Ultimately, the game came down to poise in the face of pressure and panic and Regis answered the call every time throughout Wednesday night’s game.
After taking the lead for the second time in the fourth period, East unraveled as they fouled Regis in a scrum for the ball on the ground, sending Raiders into the one-and-one bonus at the 4:53 mark.
As the players were lining up at the line, a technical foul was called on East senior Hassani Moore giving Regis all the momentum – and they delivered.
The Raiders knocked down three of the four free throws and added a two-point basket on the side-out possession, giving them a 54-49 lead with three to go in the contest.
The Angels continued to make push after push to overcome the deficit late in the fourth quarter, their strongest attempt coming after a clutch three from Ian Osburn with 15.1 seconds left to get his squad within two. Although timely free throws by Regis and stout late game defense eventually led to the Angels falling, 61-58.
“It could’ve went either way, we were fortunate we had a one-point cushion,” Regis Head Coach Ken Shaw said. “We defended the three down there really well and we were fortunate to win the game.”
When asked how he remained calm under the pressure at the charity stripe late in the game, junior Connor Hobbs cited his practice preparation.
“(We) practice free throws every day,” he said. “I just had to go up there and focus. Focus is the main thing on free throws.”