Jon Snow scores 15 as #7 Columbine spins out of Pomona's "choke" hold  (01/24/12)

by MARTY CESARIO

Colorado High School Boys Basketball : Class 5A
Pomona High School, Arvada, Colorado 
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Rebels are still rollin.' That's seven in-a-row now. Their leading scorer, Jon Snow, scored a game-high 15 points. Aggressive defense by senior guards, Nick Carpinello and Josh Daly sparked an early 17-0 run. As a team, they held their opponents to merely a single field goal in the opening period -- just 10 points in the entire 1st half. Bluntly put... 7th-ranked Columbine flat-out handled Pomona, 67-34. 

Thinner on size and talent (and missing their starting point guard), Pomona's mode of operation was to control pace and limit possessions. To begin the game, the Panthers won the tip and worked the ball around for a full two minutes. Columbine expected it. Dealt with it. Then countered the keep-away effort by attacking ball-handlers. It didn't take long for Carpinello and Daly to get the Rebels running by creating turnovers that led to opportunities for teammates to score. 6'7" senior, Chris Huth, banked in a baby hook to get the Rebels up, 10-2, at the end of the 1st quarter. And the early rush continued into the 2nd with junior Tyler McMinimee nailing a 3-pointer to set the score at 19-2 in favor of Columbine.

Sophomore Justo Camara hit a "3" later in the 2nd to trim the Panthers' deficit to eleven, but the Rebels finished off the half with a free throw and a pair of buckets -- including a put-back tap by Snow at the buzzer. Columbine managed their opponents' efforts to choke the game... almost perfectly. 

Pomona's all-stater, Alex Welsh, spent lengthy periods of time on the bench in each of those first two quarters. After the game... I asked why... his coach said he didn't want to talk about it. At this level, I don't push... but I do respectfully share what I saw. Welch sat a whole lot more than I expected from a kid averaging 23 points, 10 rebounds and already signed up to play at the next level. And when he was in there, he was defended very well by Rebels junior, Brad Crowther. 

Coach Clay Thielking told me during our pre-game briefing yesterday that Daly was "surprising people." He meant that in a very good way. The 6'3" junior not only earned my attention during that defensive assault in the 1st half, but he also impressed me as an offensive player tonight. Daly finished a crisp high-post, give-and-go with Snow to give the Rebels another 17-point lead, 37-20, just before the end of the 3rd quarter. (Snow completed the quarter with a strong drive out of a loose ball frenzy.) Then Daly sank a 3-pointer to start the 4th. For me, I guess the "surprise" was how much Daly complimented Carpinello in a very good backcourt tandem. Both were pests as defenders. Both handled point guard responsibilites. Both worked well with the big kids, Snow and Huth.

So after scoring their signature win of the season (so far) back in December against Arapahoe -- a team currently ranked 4th on this website -- the Rebels lost 3 of 4. They've obviously shaken off the effects of that unexpected slide and are now moving through Jeffco League play with momentum and confidence. Critical dates ahead for Columbine include a rematch with a Dakota Ridge squad that shocked a few folks by beating the Rebels in the first game after the holiday break, and a second date with Ralston Valley on February 10th.          


Columbine (13-3, 8-1)        10  16  13  28    67                                    
Pomona (7-7, 2-6)               2   8   10  14    34   
 
CR: Snow 15, Daly 7, McMinimee 7  
PP: Welsh 14, Hergenreter 6, Camara 5 


Individual statistics, team stats, and clock stamps unofficial.
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