Mountain Vista In The Semi-finals Once More
By Matt Langley
www.BasketballColorado.com
03/07/2014
Denver, CO – In the final game of the boys 5A Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum pitted two evenly matched teams, the Mountain Vista Golden Eagles and the Eaglecrest Raptors against each other for the final spot in this seasons semi-finals at CU-Boulder. The game featured 11 lead changes, 8 ties and the largest lead was seven points. Eaglescrest junior forward Blend Avdili scored nine points in the first half as did junior forward Marquel Murphy to lead Eaglecrest to a 28-25 lead at halftime. Mountain Vista’s junior guard Brady Subert scored 11 first half points and senior guard Jake Pemberton added 6 to answer each Eaglecrest run.
In the second half though the Golden Eagles took the lead in the middle of the quarter and built the largest led of the game 41-34 . Mountain Vista, although they seemed to control most of the second half, they could never pull away from the Raptors. With 2 minutes left in the game and down 59-53 the Raptors made one last run at the Golden Eagles. Junior guard Elijah Ross scored four points in a minute to cut Mountain Vista’s Lead to 2 points, 61-59 with 47 seconds left. After the ensuing in-bounds play Eaglecrest stole the ball and called a time out. The Raptors got teh ball in to Ross hands who was fouled with 13 seconds left. Ross calmly sank both free throws to tie the game at 61. The Eagles quickly got the ball to Pemberton who streaked down the the sideline then attacked the baseline and was fouled with 7.6 seconds left in the game. The University of Denver signee faced with a one and one situation came through sinking both shots. Eaglecrest got a three point shot off with 1.4 seconds left but it fell short and the raptors fouled Mountain Vista’s Graham Smith on the rebound. Smith made both free throws to clinch the semi-final birth for Mountain Vista 65-61
Mountain Vista had all five starters in double figures: Subart 16, Pempberton 15, Smith 11 and 12 rebounds , Raymond Beresford 12, and Carson Simon scored 10.
Eaglecrest had four in double figures: Avdili 14, Jaisean Jackson 13, Ross 13, and Marquel Murphy scored 12 points
Mountain Vista will play Fossil Ridge next Friday at the Coors Events Center on the Campus of teh University of Colorado
