Overland Beats ThunderRidge for the 5A State Championship
By Matt Langley
www.BasketballColorado.com
3/14/2015
Boulder, CO – The Overland Trailblazers were simply better when it mattered. Especially on the defensive end of the floor. The pressure and consistent harassment of the ThunderRidge guards forced the Grizzlies into tough contested shots during the 5A state championship Saturday night at the Coors Events Center. The defensive intensity was noticeable in the paint too as ThunderRidge senior center was held scoreless for three quarters.
ThunderRidge didn’t score for nearly two minutes and fell behind 13-5 after senior guard Austin Conway scored his fifth point of the quarter with 1:45 remaining in the 1st quarter. Conway scored again to give Overland a 15-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Both big men played each other straight up and each had four points in the quarter.
The Grizzlies shot 1/9 from three point land but the one happened to come at the beginning of the second quarter which knocked down the Overland lead to five points. Overland however just lost focus offensively and was only able to score six points in the quarter. Content to keep shooting ThunderRidge went 0 for 5 from behind the 3 point arch the rest of the quarter. Junior forward Clay Verk scored six points in the quarter by driving directly at Sawn and Davis. Overland continued to play tough defense, the defense was so good that ThunderRidge only took two, yes two free throws the entire game. The Grizzlies were able to cut the lead to 20-18 with less than three minutes left but Conway scored his eighth point of the half to make it 21-18 at halftime.
Overland locked up the Grizzlies again in the 3rd quarter. ThunderRidge mad sonly one three pinter in the the quarter. Pirog was held scoreless the rest of the game but did collect nine rebounds. Overland went on an 11 point run that started with a Davis basket and end with a Davis old fashion three point play putting the Trailbalzers up 36-22 with less than a minute to play in the quarter. The Trailbalzers wasted no opportunity to push the ball up the court and continued to harass the Grizzlies guards on defense. Overland led at the end of the 3rd quarter 38-28.
ThunderRidge mounted a comeback of sorts with Noah Szilagyi and Mueller. Both connected on three pointers during an 8-4 run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. Conway though respond with 4 points of his own to push the led back to 9. A Mueller three pointer cut the lead to 6 but Davis, Conway and Swan went on a 6-0 run with two minutes left to seal the victory. Of note Overalnd shot 13/4 from the free throw line in the second half. Davis had 15 and 15 rebounds to go along with at least 6 blocks. Conway was also big scoring 18 points, ThunderRidge had no answer to keeping Conway out of transition.
Overland wins its first Boys Sate basketball championship in its 37 year history.
