Broomfield – The vertically challenged everywhere should root for the Broomfield Eagles.
“Yeah, we’re a small team … but we get the job done,” said Broomfield guard Tim Halliday, one of four Eagles starters who are shorter than 6 feet.
Behind their feisty defense and long-range shooters who can hit from almost anywhere, the Eagles slowed the talented Andrew Hooper and secured the win from the free-throw line for a 58-45 victory over D’Evelyn in the quarterfinal round of the Class 4A boys state playoffs Saturday.
“Playing against their height, we knew we would have to be more athletic and work harder. That’s how we make up for size,” Broomfield’s Ryan Garren said.
Halliday led the Eagles (21-5) with 17 points and Garren scored 14. Both made three 3-pointers, but Broomfield’s 26-for-30 performance at the free-throw line, including 20-for-23 in the fourth quarter, clinched the game.
“You got to give Broomfield credit. They were clutch on free throws,” Hooper said.
D’Evelyn (19-7) made 12-of-23 free-throw attempts.
Broomfield returns to the Final Four for the second consecutive year, but this time with an almost entirely new lineup. The Eagles will play Abraham Lincoln at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.
In front of an estimated 2,500 fans, squeezed together in the stands and spilling out onto the floor, Broomfield jumped to an 11-3 lead when Halliday hit a 3-pointer as well as the ensuing free throw.
The Eagles went into halftime with a 27-19 lead, but a scoring flurry by the Jaguars evened the score at 35 going into the fourth quarter.
Hooper, who led D’Evelyn this season with 18.7 points per game, was held to nine in the game. But he opened the second half with three assists in a row to get the Jaguars moving.
Kurt Lidgren led all scorers with 19 points, and D’Evelyn’s Mark Schaffer scored 10. Lidgren sank a 3-pointer with 3 minutes left to make the score 47-43 Broomfield, but the Eagles would go on a 9-0 run thanks to free throws to ice the game.
“It’s nice to have a good free-throw shooting team,” Halliday said.
D’Evelyn 8 11 16 10 – 45
Broomfield 15 12 8 23 – 58
D’Evelyn – Hooper 2 5-6 9, Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Rader 2 0-4 5, Schaffer 3 1-4 10, Lidgren 6 6-9 19, Lepke 1 0-0 2, Gesell 0 0-0 0, Lidvall 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 12-23 45.
Broomfield – Halliday 3 8-8 17, Barthule 3 3-4 9, Garren 4 3-4 14, Nehf 0 0-0 0, Stahler 2 4-4 8, Travis 0 2-2 2, Fankell 1 5-6 7, Clays 0 1-2 1, Vande Hoef 0 0-0 0, Gorman 0 0-0 0, Fielder 0 0-0 0, Nobles 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 26-30 58.
3-point goals – Schaffer 3, Lidgren, Rader; Halliday 3, Garren 3. Total fouls – D’Evelyn 22; Broomfield 17. Fouled out – Schaffer.
