Colorado Springs – This is what is known as your basic physical, chippy high school game.
ThunderRidge outlasted and withstood Wheat Ridge 69-48 on Thursday night in the Class 5A Sweet 16 at World Arena, and those certainly are the most important numbers from the game.
However, the contest also was marred by a combined 64 personal fouls, including two techincals; six players fouled out, four for Wheat Ridge; and the two joined to shoot 79 free throws, 46 by ThunderRidge, 28 in the fourth quarter.
And that’s not counting the attitude, trash-talking and baiting that went on largely throughout the second half.
“It was very physical, kind of a hard-fought game,” ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz said. “We were prepared. The big thing was keeping our cool and keeping our poise.”
Said Grizzlies senior Zach Tiedgen, who helped pace the winners with solid inside play and was presented with a developing shiner under his left eye from an elbow: “It was pretty rough.”
Adding to it, Wheat Ridge coach Tom Dowd said, was his players “were getting frustrated (from the game’s slow pace), you could see it in their eyes. … We’re not built to play slow-down basketball.”
The Grizzlies, who improved to 21-4 and advanced to Saturday’s Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum, took the lead in the first quarter by consistent rebounding, protecting the ball against the Farmers’ pressure and, of course, converting free throws.
They made 34-of-46 overall in stark contrast to Wheat Ridge’s 17-of-33. The Farmers, Jefferson County champions who ended 18-6, also were 4-of-20 from the floor in the first half, 14-of-50 for the game.
“I still think it was a well-officiated game,” Ortiz said.
Justin Becker was big for the Grizzlies with team highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds. Scott Day added 13 points.
For Wheat Ridge, which had three of its starters foul out, Lucas Nelson had 16 points.
Wheat Ridge 5 11 13 19- 48
ThunderRidge 16 9 18 26- 69
Wheat Ridge – Nelson 5 4-8 16, D. Orms 3 1-6 7, Wright 0 2-2 2, Routzon 0 2-2 2, Gearhart 3 2-3 8, Wagner 0 0-0 0, Dowd 1 0-1 3, Wallace 1 2-5 4, Gold 1 1-2 3, Achatz 0 1-2 1, P. Orms 0 0-0 0, Land 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 17-33 48.
ThunderRidge – Day 4 1-2 13, Gaiter 1 1-3 3, Arnold 1 6-7 8, Tiedgen 1 5-8 7, Becker 3 8-10 14, M. Stern 3 2-4 8, Jelniker 2 2-2 7, Stender 0 7-8 7, Cone 0 0-0 0, C. Stern 0 0-0 0, oote 0 0-0 0, Riley 0 2-2 2. Totals 15 34-46 69.
3-pt. goals – Nelson 2, Dowd; Day 4, Jelniker. Total fouls – Wheat Ridge 34, ThunderRidge 30. Fouled out – D. Orms, Wright, Routzon, Wagner; Tiedgen, Day. Technical foul – Wheat Ridge coach Dowd, D. Orms.
Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com.
