Windsor – When Windsor defeated Fossil Ridge last season, David Peterson’s last shot was the dramatic game-winner in overtime.
In Tuesday’s rematch, Peterson’s first shot might have been just as important.
The senior guard got things going with a long 3-pointer and went on to sink six more and finish with a game-high 30 points, helping the Wizards trounce the visiting Sabercats from Fort Collins 81-52 in a Class 4A cross-divisional Northern League matchup.
Peterson was 7-for-8 from beyond the arc to key the Wizards (7-0), who never trailed, shot 68 percent from the field and dominated the Sabercats (2-3) on the boards.
“We’re shooting well,” Peterson said. “We got a good rhythm going and really good chemistry.”
Fellow guard Matt Elliott sank two 3-pointers and finished with 20 points while 6-foot-5 senior Matt Tasset had 19 points and eight rebounds. Craig Von Allman added six points and nine rebounds.
The Wizards led by 10 points in the first quarter, 25 before halftime and 28 in the third quarter. They stretched it to 33 when Peterson drained a 3-pointer from the right baseline with 2:08 remaining to put the home team up 80-47.
Windsor’s ball movement and smooth transition game led to wide-open shots and easy layups while the Sabercats missed 26 shots before the fourth quarter.
“We knew what to do to get through them. They couldn’t stop us,” Tasset said. “A lot of teams don’t think we have what we actually have. We know what we have and we know what our potential is.”
The Sabercats had the size inside and speed on the perimeter to match up with the Wizards, but they couldn’t compete with their execution or cool their hot shooting.
“They were the aggressor on both ends,” Fossil Ridge coach Matt Johannsen said. “They just understand the game a little bit better than we do. They understand moving to the basket when a shot goes up, they understand positioning on the boards – those little things we’re struggling with right now.”
Cody Mivshek scored nine of his team-best 14 points in the fourth quarter and guard Mitch Ackelson added 13. Junior Eric Penrod had nine points, three rebounds and blocked two shots for the Sabercats, who were ranked eighth in the preseason.
The Wizards opened the game with a 7-0 run and seized control in the second quarter, when they held Fossil Ridge to five points.
Fossil Ridge 13 5 13 21 – 52
Windsor 23 19 17 22 – 81
Fossil Ridge – Ackelson 5 0-0 13, Mivshek 3 8-9 14, Penrod 3 3-5 9, Golgart 3 1-2 8, Kegerreis 2 0-0 5, Redfearn 0 3-4 3, Peterson 0 0-0 0, Pekara 0 0-1 0, Dorlac 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 15-21 52.
Windsor – Elliott 8 2-4 20, Peterson 11 1-2 30, Von Allman 3 0-0 6, Goodell 0 1-2 1, Tasset 9 1-4 19, Svitavsky 2 0-0 4, Lopez 0 1-2 1, Kish 0 0-0 0, Suman 0 0-0 0, Cates 0 0-0 0. Totals 33 6-14 81.
3-point goals – Ackelson 3, Golgart, Kegerreis; Peterson 7, Elliott 2. Total fouls – Fossil Ridge 16, Windsor 17. Fouled out – Goodell. Technical foul – Fossil Ridge coach Johannsen.
