Sanford won the 2A boys basketball championship in overtime on Saturday. (Jack Eberhard/JacksActionShots.com)
PUEBLO – With the crowd roaring and a state championship on the line, Clayton Peterson slowed his heartbeat down.
The senior calmly made two free throws with 11.7 seconds left, propelling the Indians to a dramatic 47-44 overtime victory over Resurrection Christian in the Class 2A state championship game between unbeaten teams at a packed Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.
“I was pretty nervous with the game on the line,” said Peterson about his mindset before he stepped to the line for his first free throw attempts of the game. “I was confident with all the hard work I had put in at the line that I was going to knock them down. This is fantastic. It feels even better than the one we won last year.”
Sanford finished the season 27-0 and claimed the school’s seventh state boys basketball title. A year ago, the Indians had a 26-1 record, culminating with their 58-53 victory over Akron in the finals. Resurrection Christian (25-1) was playing in its first boys basketball state title game in school history.
“That was a great game against a great team, and I’m really proud of my guys,” veteran Sanford coach Rhett Larsen said. “We have a bunch of guys who play hard and I’m so proud of them. Clayton is a good free throw shooter and I was really happy he went to the line, and I had confidence he would make them.”
Following Peterson’s second free throw, Resurrection had one last gasp to try and tie the game. The Cougars rushed the ball up the court and Tanner Ervin got the ball at the left of the top of the key. The talented sophomore was able to find some open space with Sanford’s Dustin Faucette guarding him.
Ervin launched a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left, and the ball hit the front of the rim. The Cougars got the rebound, but couldn’t get another shot off before the buzzer sounded setting off a wild celebration for Sanford.
“He Ervin was never too hot (Saturday) night,” Faucette, a senior, said. “I just figured I was going to stick in his hip pocket and do all I could to make sure he never got a shot off. That was insane that he got that good of a look on me and I was praying it wouldn’t go in and it went in our favor.”
Bruce Dick, Resurrection’s coach, praised his team’s effort.
“I’m so proud of those guys,” Dick said. “There was not a dry eye in the locker room and it means a lot to them. It was such a blessing to be around this team and I hurt for them. They wanted it so bad.”
In overtime, neither team could get much separation, but when Miles Caldon made two free throws with 50.1 seconds remaining, the Indians went ahead 45-42.
Ervin was called for a travel with 41.7 second left, but Sanford couldn’t take advantage of the opportunity as the Indians were called for a 10-second violation at 30.7 seconds.
On Resurrection’s next possession, Luke Mondt rebounded an Ervin missed trey and put in a basket getting the Cougars within 45-44, setting the stage for Peterson’s heroics.
Caldon paced Sanford with 15 points. Mondt and Luke Fick had 17 and 14 points in the Cougars’ loss.