Aurora – After going without a basket for about 35 minutes Wednesday night against Grandview, Will Figures, Smoky Hill’s leading scorer for the season, regained his shooting touch in the nick of time.
The 5-foot-8 senior nailed three jump shots – two of them from 3-point range – within a span of 58 seconds in the final 2 1/2 minutes as the eighth-ranked Buffaloes turned back the No. 10 Wolves 66-61 to all but secure third place in a Centennial League game.
“Coach gives me the green light to shoot,” Figures said. “If it’s there, I can shoot it.”
The shots weren’t available for Figures for most of the game after he hit two 3-pointers in the first two minutes.
“They were making it tough to get looks,” said Figures, who averages almost 20 points for Smoky Hill, which improved to 16-4 overall and 8-3 in the Centennial.
But Figures managed to get open for a 3-pointer that gave the Buffaloes a 55-54 lead with 2:22 remaining. He answered a Grandview layup with a jumper, then gave Smoky Hill a 60-56 lead with his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 1:14 left.
“They did a great job on him,” Smoky Hill coach Ken Shaw said of Grandview’s defense on Figures, which was spearheaded by 6-4 Brandon Gentry. “Those two (3-pointers) he hit – they were tough looks.”
Grandview responded to Figures’ 3-pointers with quick transition layups, pulling within 60-58 with 1:03 left.
But Smoky Hill got a second-chance basket from Sam Huebner with 35 seconds left, and Figures added two free throws and a layup for a 66-58 lead in the final 10 seconds.
“We played with tremendous confidence and poise down the stretch,” said Figures, who finished with 20 points.
Grandview (14-6, 6-5), with all its league losses coming to top-10 teams, turned a 33-21 deficit with three minutes left in the first half into a 50-44 lead one minute into the fourth quarter. Scott Flanagan scored 13 of his game-high 22 points as the Wolves outscored Smoky Hill 15-9 in the third quarter.
Before Figures’ heroics, the Buffs got back in the game behind 6-6 junior Josh Cassaday, Smoky Hill’s sixth man and the only nonstarter who played. Working inside, Cassaday hit two free throws and a rebound follow shot to cut the deficit to two points.
Huebner scored two baskets, but both came in the fourth quarter. His first gave Smoky Hill a 52-50 lead.
The Buffs, who lost to Cherry Creek last Friday, didn’t get any help Wednesday night as Mullen defeated the Bruins 54-45. Smoky Hill had earlier defeated first-place Mullen (18-2, 10-1). The Buffs are tied for second with Cherry Creek. Grandview likely will finish fourth, but it all could be moot.
“The league probably deserves four in the top 16 (seeds for the 5A playoffs),” Grandview coach Gary Childress said.
Grandview 17 16 15 13 – 61
Smoky Hill 19 16 9 22 – 66
Grandview – Childress 3 0-0 7, Gentry 2 4-4 8, Nielson 5 3-5 14, Flanagan 9 2-3 22, Sweet 0 0-5 0, Mason 3 3-3 10, Fernandez 0 0-0 0, Olmstead 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 12-20 61.
Smoky Hill – Figures 6 4-4 20, May 2 0-0 4, Daugherty 4 0-1 11, Huebner 2 2-2 6, Perry 4 3-3 11, Cassaday 6 2-2 14. Totals 24 11-12 66.
3-point goals – Flanagan 2, Childress, Nielson, Mason; Figures 4, Daugherty 3. Total fouls – Grandview 15, Smoky Hill 16. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.
