Perfection is not always good looking. Just ask East girls basketball coach Dwight Berry.
His Angels survived a foul-plagued, free-throw shooting bonanza at the Thunderdome against Montbello, winning 68-62 to improve to 7-0 in the Denver Prep League with two games to play.
“This is such a rivalry, and there is just so much anxiety,” Berry said. “Once you calm them down and go slow, it all goes well.”
After an ugly first half that featured 37 combined fouls and 52 free throws, the referees swallowed their whistles in the third and both teams played well.
Montbello, which dropped to 13-8, 6-1 in league, clawed to within four points at the end of the third quarter behind starters Brittany Walker, Desiree’ Frierson and Danielle Brown.
With East’s starters struggling to find some rhythm out of the locker room, it was Berry’s bench that provided the spark heading into the fourth for the Angels.
Reserves Christina Ausler and Tyshel McPherson each hit clutch 3-pointers.
“All year, my starters have been playing great, but my bench has played phenomenal,” Berry said.
Montbello held a 58-55 lead with four minutes to play, but East finally found its hot hand. Brooke Durant scored seven of her team-high 13 in the waning moments, including a steal-and-layup in the midst of a 10-0 run that put the Angels up 63-58.
“Our defense started to kick in, we were hustling and that led to the fast breaks,” Durant said.
Said Montbello coach De’Edra Dangerfield: “We just didn’t make good decisions with the ball and we just seemed to lose our aggressiveness. We weren’t intense and we just acted like they were going to let us win.”
Dawn Wattley finished with 13 for East, which improved to 16-5 overall, and Dale Samuels chipped in with 12.
Frierson paced all scores with 17 for the Warriors and Walker finished with 16.
East 17 19 14 18 – 68
Montbello 15 14 17 16 – 62
East – Durant 5 2-6 13, Wattley 5 3-4 13, Christianson 4 1-3 9, Samuels 5 2-6 12, Groce 1 3-5 5, Joiner 0 0-0 0, Ausler 1 0-0 3, Finnie 0 1-2 1, Brewer 1 0-0 2, Holt 0 1-2 1, McPherson 1 0-0 3, Nally 0 0-2 0, Pugh 1 4-4 6, Calbart 0 0-2 0. Totals 24 17-36 68.
Montbello – Walker 5 3-7 16, Brown 1 0-0 2, Frierson 6 5-8 17, Brown 3 5-10 11, Jackson 1 2-7 4, Stafford 1 2-2 4, Chambliss 0 0-0 0, Nelson 0 0-5 0, Epperson 2 0-2 4, Magee 1 2-3 4. Totals 20 19-44 62.
3-point goals – Durant, Ausler, McPherson; Walker 3. Total fouls – East 35; Montbello 26. Fouled out – Watley, Samuels Brown, Jackson. Technicals – None.
Staff writer Jon E. Yunt can be reached at 303-820-5446 or jyunt@denverpost.com.
