Colorado Springs – In his final game as a schoolboy playing on local courts, 6-foot-9 Garrett Fiddler was big.
The senior scored 24 points, grabbed nine rebounds, blocked eight shots and kept the bar high for Doherty’s Spartans. The Denver Post’s preseason No. 1 Class 5A team rode Fiddler and a large team effort to a 77-52 victory over Brighton on Thursday night in the Sweet 16 at World Arena. The Spartans roared into Saturday’s Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
How big was Fiddler? He outdueled Brighton’s 6-10 senior Martell Jackson and even jumped over teammate VJ Holmes to catch a lob pass and throw down a dunk as the Spartans sealed the game.
“It was a perfect pass by Bryse (Velasquez), and I’ve been looking for that one for a while,” Fiddler said.
Brighton (18-7) led 25-20 early in the second quarter before finishing the fast-paced game on fumes.
Doherty went on a 25-3 run that lasted into the third quarter, including a 9-0 binge off four consecutive Bulldogs’ turnovers to start the third quarter.
“That’s how we play, any style,” Doherty coach Dan McKiernan said.
Doherty, usually known for McKiernan’s 1-3-1 zone defense, instead stuck with man-to-man and was effective – the Bulldogs were guilty of 19 turnovers.
Velasquez handled Brighton pressure out front, got to the basket, dished for shots and scored 16 points, 14 in the second half. But Fiddler, headed to Yale, was the one no Bulldog could handle.
“He did hurt us inside,” Brighton coach Dan Lliteras said. “He was real active on the defensive end of the floor, more than what our big man was ready to face.”
Chris Deans and Kit Hensel led Brighton, which shot 34 percent from the field (21-of-61), with 14 points each.
Brighton 17 11 14 10 – 52
Doherty 16 16 23 22 – 77
Brighton – Street 2 0-0 5, Townsend 1 0-0 3, Deans 5 0-0 14, Jackson 6 1-1 13, Hensel 6 0-1 14, Kniss 0 0-0 0, Sostarich 1 1-2 3, Lake 0 0-0 0, Hastings 0 0-0 0, Lopez 0 0-0 0, Moore 0 0-0 0, Lawhead 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 2-4 52.
Doherty – Davis 3 2-2 8, Velasquez 8 0-1 16, Webb 3 0-1 8, Holmes 5 0-0 10, Fiddler 9 6-10 24, Lucero 0 0-0 0, Carlston 0 0-0 0, Moritz 2 3-4 7, Wilson 0 0-0 0, Guerrero 1 2-2 4, Thomas 0 0-0 0. 31 13-20 77.
3-pt. – Deans 4, Hensel 2, Street, Townsend; Webb 2. Total fouls – Brighton 16, Doherty 10. Fouled out – None. Technicals – None.
