D'Evelyn gets through rival Golden to set up finale of unbeatens in Jeffco League  (02/06/12)

by MARTY CESARIO

Colorado High School Boys Basketball : Class 4A
Golden High School, Golden, Colorado 
Monday, February 6, 2012

Mama Nature made me wait. Yet I still got what I wanted. So did Coach Troy Pachner and his Jaguars basketball team.

The Jags endured the rough ride they probably expected against their league rivals. But they put together scoring bursts to finish the 1st half and begin the 2nd. They were down again late in the 3rd, however they'd already negated their opponents' most successful attack option. Then the Jaguars hit a few big buckets and clutch free throws to pull away in the final quarter. A 64-56 D'Evelyn victory over Golden now sets up a huge regular season finale in two days between a pair of squads unbeaten within the Jeffco (4A) League.  

This was supposed to be a Friday night showdown played at the Colorado School of Mines. The two-day blizzard forced a change in the date, the venue, and the collective vibe of two very passionate student bodies. (Books and bedtime instead of buddyin' up at the burger joint. Ouch. Poor kids.) I didn't notice any abnormal effects on the floor, though -- not even the hyper-anxious moments often seen at the start of high-profile games like this.

D'Evelyn had to weather and wait through a strong first couple of quarters from Golden. The Jaguars' all-state scoring stud, Luke Stratman, was shadowed extremely well by the Demons senior point guard, Jordan Johnson, throughout the 1st half. When Stratman was able to receive the basketball, his shot was a little off... for his standards. Defensively, the Jags were repeatedly taken from up top through the lane in one-on-one situations. Seniors Nate Hill and Brad Chacho took turns driving and scoring on D'Evelyn defenders. Meanwhile, 6'5" junior, Austin Rickard, was feeling his mid-range fade shot on one end and doing everything possible as a defender on the other side of the court. (Rickard recorded 8 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 steals.) Golden built an 8-point lead with two minutes left in the 2nd quarter after Hill left a man locked in place with a knee-level ball fake and charge to the rim for a lay-up. That play yielded a 26-18 advantage for the Demons.     

Senior Reid Bervick defused the alarm with a 3-pointer and a lay-in on consecutive possessions followed by a fast break bucket by freshman Grant Witherspoon. Those efforts suddenly brought the Jaguars to within one. And then a whistle was blown at the buzzer. A technical called against Golden. The shots were carried over to begin the 3rd quarter. Stratman nailed both. Then he sank a couple of field goals and became much more accessible, decisive and productive offensively.

After D'Evelyn moved ahead, at 29-26, the teams teeter-tottered through the 3rd quarter. Chacho's efforts were the primary reason why the Demons stayed tight and actually held a 41-39 lead late in the 3rd. (Chacho equaled Stratman's game-high 22 points.) However, Pachner's crew had already solved their issues with handling the isolated drives for baskets that Golden enjoyed so much in the 1st half. Those plays were gone -- which left the Demons passing the ball around up top waiting for some other treasure to expose itself. It didn't. Stratman was fouled on a long attempt at the end of the 3rd. He made all three free throws. The Jaguars never trailed again. 

Junior Chase Cleary launched and landed a "3" at the 6:30 mark in the final quarter to put D'Evelyn up 47-43. The guys from Golden tried to match the pace during a back-and-forth frenzy... Johnson hit a 3-pointer to bring the Demons within four at 52-48. However senior Matt Menard's driving feed to senior Caleb Flack for an easy basket under the glass issued the immediate answer. The scoreboard read 54-48. A time-out was called. Players exhaled. Emotional and physical fatigue may have set in for the Demons. The Jaguars began earning more frequent trips to the free throw line -- where D'Evelyn was near-perfect tonight. (Along with Stratman, Bervik was clutch by going 6 for 6 from the line late in the game.)

Another thing Mother Nature did in terms of impact caused by the storm: now we only have to sit through one day of anticipation for the must-see run for the regular season title (and top seed in the league tourney) between D'Evelyn and Valor. Both teams unblemished in the league. Both with just one loss overall this season. Buhhhh-ring it, boys! Wednesday night in Highlands Ranch.       


D'Evelyn (17-1, 9-0)        12  13  17  22     64                                    
Golden (11-7, 6-3)          16  10  15  14     56   
 
DJ: Stratman 22, Bervik 13, Flack 9, Cleary 7  
GD: Chacho 22, Hill 10, Rickard 8, Johnson 6


Individual statistics, team stats, and clock stamps unofficial.
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