Denver East Rises Above ThunderRidge
By Matt Langley
1/8/2013
Langleyscouting.blogspot.com
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DENVER, CO – The number 1 ranked Denver East Angels (10-2) remained unbeaten in the state of Colorado Tuesday night after beating the 5th ranked ThunderRidge Grizzlies (7-4) 73-53 in front of a packed gymnasium at Denver East High School. The Angels got off to a slow start but simply overwhelmed the Grizzlies with their size and style of play. Even though ThunderRidge started no one above 6’3, while East starts 3 players 6’3 and above, they looked like the number 1 team in the state in the first quarter. The Grizzlies seemed unfazed by the crowed gym playing with poise and control on offense while forcing the Angles into six turnovers and holding East’s star player, Dom Collier, to one point in the quarter. East shot a collective 3 of 12 from the field in the quarter helping ThunderRidge to a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
ThunderRidge extended their lead over the Angels after a crowd raising dunk at the beginning of the 2ndquarter, but junior Angel guard J.J. Griffin was fouled making a lay- up and sank the free throw to cut the lead to 16-12. Then Grizzlies senior forward Nolan Zarlin and East’s Collier were both given technical fouls for going chest to chest with each other after things got physical under the basket. East’s sophomore guard Brian Carey started the comeback effort making four free throws cutting the lead to 16-17. Grizzlies senior guard Joe Marucci who led all Grizzlies with 19 points, answered with a three pointer to extend the lead back to four 16-20 but that would be the last lead of the night for ThunderRidge. The Grizzlies did tie the score at 23-23 after a three pointer from senior guard Zach Rusk, but the Angels used their attacking offense to score nine more points by the end of the quarter taking a 34-25 lead into halftime. The Angles were lead in the quarter by junior guard Ronnie Harrell with 10 points while the Grizzlies Rusk had 8.
After halftime, it was all East. The poise and control the Grizzlies played with in the first quarter turned into poor defense, bad shots, and turnovers in the second half. Meanwhile, the sluggishness and seeming lack of focus East played with in the first half had worn off, and they turned into the team that many believe is the best in the state. Collier and Carey combined for 14 of Easts 19 points in the third quarter with slashing lay ups and long three pointers. ThunderRidge simply had no answers for East as the Grizzlies went cold shooting from the outside leading the Angels to expand their lead to 53-39 after the third quarter.
After halftime, it was all East. The poise and control the Grizzlies played with in the first quarter turned into poor defense, bad shots, and turnovers in the second half. Meanwhile, the sluggishness and seeming lack of focus East played with in the first half had worn off, and they turned into the team that many believe is the best in the state. Collier and Carey combined for 14 of Easts 19 points in the third quarter with slashing lay ups and long three pointers. ThunderRidge simply had no answers for East as the Grizzlies went cold shooting from the outside leading the Angels to expand their lead to 53-39 after the third quarter.
The Angels gained control of the game, and the Grizzlies were not able to claw back in the fourth quarter. Both Zarlin and senior guard Hunter O’Neill fouled out of the game for the Grizzlies by five minutes left in the fourth quarter. At that point with ThunderRidge still playing man to man defense, East simply spread out its offense and allowed its guards to drive wide open lanes to the basket for lay-ups The Angels scored 20 points in the quarter giving East the 73-53 win.
All five of East’s starters finished with double-digit points. East’s junior forward Tyre Robinson had 12 points with two monster dunks, nearly double digits in rebounds, and multiple blocked shots as East controlled the paint for the entire night. While Harrell had 16 points and nearly double digit rebounds as well, Griffin had 11 points, Collier added 13, and Carey led all East’s scorers with 17 points.