Lakewood – Grandview ended a couple of eras Wednesday night and further extended one of its own.
The Wolves knocked off ThunderRidge 58-51 in Class 5A’s Sweet 16 at Alameda High School and advanced to Friday’s Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum for a matchup against East. They will try to make their third final four in four seasons.
Grandview (19-6) ended the run of ThunderRidge, champion in 2001-02 and 2002-03 and runner-up the past two seasons. The Wolves also sent home and halted the stellar schoolboy career of the Grizzlies’ Gonzaga-bound Matt Bouldin with terrific defense.
“We executed our game plan, as good of a job as executing it as we could, I think,” Wolves coach Gary Childress said while wincing from pain in his lower back and side.
The coach was run over on the bench by ThunderRidge’s Zach Tiedgen, who was trying to chase down a loose ball. Childress took a hard hit and needed a couple of minutes to gather himself. He remained on the sideline.
Asked if he was OK, Childress said, “I don’t know. … I’m going to get checked out now.”
His Wolves were OK after trading baskets with the Grizzlies (19-6) throughout the first half, then taking control in the second half with balanced scoring, solid ball-handling and free-throw shooting, and hurting ThunderRidge down low.
Scott Flanagan and Brandon Sweet (12 points each), and Brandon Gentry and Jake Nielson (10 apiece) led a take-your- turn run of opportunities. The Wolves made 15 free throws in the fourth quarter and withstood a late surge.
Showing inconsistency for much of the Centennial League season, Grandview used it as a learning experience.
“It’s the best league by far. Being in the Centennial League, you’ve got to expect some ups and downs,” said Sweet, who also had three dunks when teammates found him behind the Grizzlies’ defense.
Gentry added seven rebounds. Flanagan and Sweet each grabbed six. Flanagan, too, led an affective diamond-and- one defense on Bouldin.
Bouldin led all scorers with 28 points, 19 in the final quarter. But he was held in check, and the rest of the Grizzlies didn’t deliver.
“We were flat. I don’t know what it was,” ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz said. “We couldn’t get going and we couldn’t score.”
Grandview 11 10 16 21 – 58
ThunderRidge 13 7 8 23 – 51
Grandview – Childress 0 4-5 4, Gentry 3 4-5 10, Nielson 2 6-6 10, Flanagan 5 1-4 12, Sweet 5 2-2 12, Fernandez 0 2-2 2, Mason 3 2-2 8, Olmstead 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 21-27 58.
ThunderRidge – Bouldin 8 8-11 28, Moats 1 0-0 2, Robinson 4 0-0 8, Tucker 1 0-0 3, Tiedgen 2 3-4 7, Becker 1 0-0 2, Gaiter 0 0-0 0, Jelniker 0 0-0 0, Stender 0 1-2 1. Totals 17 12-17 51.
3-pt. goals – Flanagan; Bouldin 4, Tucker. Total fouls – Grandview 18, ThunderRidge 23. Fouled out – Moats. Technical – Moats.
Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
