Lewis-Palmer junior Charlie Hovasse (15) looks for an open teammate while being guarded by D’Evelyn junior Cameron Brown in the first half Saturday night. Hovasse had the biggest play of the night with a steal in the final seconds and then made two free throws to give the Rangers their first lead of the night. Lewis-Palmer won 57-55 to advance to the Class 4A Final 4 next week in Boulder. (Dennis Pleuss)
DENVER — In Lewis-Palmer boys basketball lore it might just be know as “The Steal” for years to come.
Lewis-Palmer and D’Evelyn were tied at 55-55 with 16.5 seconds left in the Class 4A boys basketball Great 8 on Saturday night at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. D’Evelyn had possession, but Ranger junior Charlie Hovasse came up with the most important steal of his prep career, which led to Lewis-Palmer’s come-from-behind 57-55 victory.
“I saw one of my teammates going to go trap,” Hovasse said recounting the steal. “Coach (Bill Benton) always tells us to keep our hands out, but don’t foul. I just put my hands out, grabbed the ball and took it.”
Hovasse snagged the steal near the sideline at mid-court and raced toward the basket. He was fouled going to the rim with 7.2 seconds left. He made both free throws to give Lewis-Palmer its first lead of the game.
“I tried to keep myself calm and keep my composure,” Hovasse said of knocking down both free throws.
D’Evelyn had one last shot to send the game into overtime. Senior Grant Witherspoon, who scored a game-high 21 points, drove down the left side of the court and put up a layup in the paint. The shot hit the short side of the rim and junior Kyle Owens grabbed the rebound. Owens was fouled with 1 second left to seal the win and trip to the Final 4 for the Rangers (19-7).
“Give Lewis-Palmer credit. They came out and made plays,” D’Evelyn coach Troy Pachner said. “We couldn’t execute down the stretch and that was it.”
The Jaguars led 42-31 midway through the third quarter, but Lewis-Palmer kept chipping away at the lead. A 3-pointer by junior Jonathan Scott and a bucket by Hovasse in the final minute helped cut D’Evelyn’s lead to 50-45 going to the final quarter.
Lewis-Palmer junior Jonathan Scott goes up for a shot during the first half Saturday at D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School. (Dennis Pleuss)
Scott picked up a third foul with 3:02 left in the second quarter. Despite the danger of having to take a seat on the bench again, the junior guard never picked up a fourth foul.
“I just did my job and covered the guy I need to,” said Scott, who led Lewis-Palmer with 16 points. “My teammates did a good job on the other players. That’s what happened.”
The Rangers’ defense was tenacious in the final quarter creating several turnovers while holding D’Evelyn to just five points in the final eight minutes. The Jaguars were also shorthanded in the final minute at the guard position with senior Christian Denton (11 points) and junior Cameron Brown both fouling out.
Lewis-Palmer had four players reach double-digits. Scott, junior Joe DeCoud (13 points), Hovasse (11 points) and Owens (10 points). The Rangers now prepare to face Pike Peak League rival Air Academy in the state semifinal. It will be the third go-around with each team having a win under their belts.
“Alright, back with Air Academy,” Scott said when he was told the Kadets upset No. 1 seed Golden. “They are a really good team. We didn’t play well against them last time. We need to come out faster and more aggressive.”
Witherspoon came out forceful in the first half with 19 points for D’Evelyn, but the Rangers limited him to just a pair of free throws in the second half. Denton finished with 11 points and junior Jack Draeb had 10 points off the bench for the Jaguars.
D’Evelyn finished its season with a 17-9 record, but with another disappointing loss in the state quarterfinals to end it season. The Jaguars haven’t been able to make it to the Final 4 since their state 3A championship run in 2004.
“It’s great to be here (Great 8) four years in a row,” Pachner said. “It’s a successful season, but we are going to have to figure out at some point when the opportunity is there you have to seize it.”
D’Evelyn senior Grant Witherspoon (24) is guarded by Lewis-Palmer junior Jonathan Scott (5) during the second half Saturday night. Witherspoon had a game-high 21 points, but Scott led Lewis-Palmer with 16 points and an eventual Rangers’ victory in the Great 8 playoff game. (Dennis Pleuss)
D’Evelyn junior Cameron Brown (2) gets double-teamed by Lewis-Palmer’s Joe DeCoud and JT Shepherd (31) during the second half Saturday night. (Dennis Pleuss)