(Mark Adams)
AIR FORCE ACADEMY — The Class 3A boys state basketball championship game lived up to its billing Saturday night.
Like two heavyweight boxers, Holy Family and Colorado Academy traded shots and counter-shots.
In the end, Holy Family had the shot that counted as the Tigers held off the Mustangs to win the state title 53-52.
The teams had played earlier in the season with the Tigers winning by four.
They used the impetus of a strong first half by David Sommers to stay close. Sommers scored 13 first-half points on the way to 24 in pacing the Tigers.
“I was nervous,” he admitted at the start.
The senior guard showed his veteran moves, however.
“I think I’ve been around enough,” he said of handling the pressure of a state title game.
The game see-sawed back and forth with the Tigers holding their biggest second-half lead at 53-47 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.
Colorado Academy got five points in a minute from Justin Bassey, who finished with 22 points.
After a missed Tiger free throw, the Mustangs trailed by one and had the ball, They ran down the clock and put it in the hands of Bassey, but Sommers defended him well and forced an off-balanced shot that bounced off the rim.
“David Sommers is such a competitor,” Tigers coach Pete Villecco said.
Mustangs coach Steve Hyatt said he couldn’t have asked for a better situation at the end.
“It was perfect,” he said of having a try on the last possession.
Villecco expected a tough game from the Mustangs.
“They’re such a hard guard,” he said of defending them.
Holy Family won the title in its last year in 3A as the school moves up another classification next season.
As for the Mustangs, who have just three seniors, “We’ll be back.” Hyatt vowed.