#1 Rangeview Repulses George Washington
The #1 Rangeview Raiders defeated the George Washington Patriots Friday night at Rangeview, 72-67. The game had a playoff intensity to it, as games between top APS and DPS schools usually do. The first half was played fairly evenly as neither team was able to gain much of a lead but Rangeview built a double digit lead by the end of the 3rd quarter. The Raiders tried to throw the knock out punch early in the fourth quarter but would have to rebuff a 31 point fourth quarter by the Patriots to earn the victory.
The first quarter saw Rangeview take a five point lead half through the quarter after free throws from junior guard Elijah Blake and a bucket from senior wing Tyrei Randall. The Patriots played a zone defense nearly the entire game which gave the Raiders problems at points as the Patriots would jump the passing lanes or use their active hands to create a turnover. After senior forward Elijah Reed scored on a put back the Raider lead was five points with 2:30 left. That is when GW started to string together scores and outscored the Raiders 8-0 in the last minute of the quarter to take a 18-15 lead. Sophomore Daylen Kountz scored four of those points in the run.
Then the Rangeview defense really grabbed a hold of the game. The Raiders held the Patriots to eight points in the both the second and third quarters of the game using what has become a top notch half court man to man defense. Meanwhile the Rangeview offensive machine kept out working Patriots for rebounds. Randall and Blake handled much of the scoring in the second quarter. The Raiders regained the lead and held a 29-26 advantage at halftime.
The start of the third quarter was a bit rough for both teams as they each struggled to get in to an offensive flow. For the first three minutes of the quarter only Blake had scored for either team. But a bucket by senior Kris Hollins got things going for Rangeview. Kountz kept the Patriots in the game during the third quarter scoring six of their eight points. Rangeview however grew the lead to double digits as Reed scored and then this buzzer beater by Randall gave the Raiders a 44-34 advantage at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter saw a combined 59 points scored but the pace was not a frenetic as one would think. The Raiders used Randall’s last second 3rd quarter bucket as spring board to go on a 12-4 run in the first three minutes of the quarter. After another Randall bucket Rangeview was up 16 points with 5:30 left to go in the game. As George Washington extended their full court press the Raiders mistakes became magnified with each missed lay up or turn over. The Patriots took full advantage of each miscue and started wearing away at the Raiders double digit lead. Each Patriot had a hand in the near come back with Jon’il and Calvin Fugett each scoring six and eight points respectively and Kountz also scored nine points in the quarter. Green added seven points for George Washington too. But each time George would cut into the lead Rangeview answered. The biggest answer may have been by senior guard Jalen Guidry when he sank a long distance three pointer to push the Raiders lead back up to 15. The timing of it as right for the Raiders. Rangeview had gone a couple of possessions with out scoring and the Raiders needed the bucket to not let the momentum fully switch sides. The Patriots kept chipping away at the lead as time wound down. Blake and Reed both hit big lay ups and Randall hit key free throws to keep the Patriots at arms length. However the Patriots would cut the Raiders lead to as little as 5 points with less than a minute left. But free throws and then this dunk by Reed sealed the game for the Raiders.
Rangeview plays Boulder Saturday, January 16, at 2:00 in what could be a trap game for the Raiders.
