BOULDER — On its biggest stage, in its biggest game of the season, Colorado’s Class 5A boys basketball championship was decided between two of its biggest programs by lesser-known players who came up, well, big.
East, which has revisited and restored its storied past and created a new legacy that will be difficult to top, won its fifth championship since 1996 on Saturday night at the Coors Events Center in a rousing 62-59 overtime thriller over ThunderRidge.
It was the city vs. the suburbs, old against new between a couple of programs coached by men who have more than 800 career victories between them and have been in a combined 15 title games.
“It’s all about hard work and how hard these kids have played,” said East coach Rudy Carey, who earned his 598th career win and eighth championship, his fifth in a dozen years. “These kids never stopped wanting it.”
East finished 23-5, ThunderRidge 24-4 — and it was almost too bad it had to end.
Tied at 46 after regulation, East made 12-of-16 free throws in the extra session to win it, aided by its usual rebounding and defense.
In all, the big stars had their moments, as East’s Demetrius Thornton and ThunderRidge’s Zach Tiedgen helped carry much of the play, but players less noticeable from the season were thrown into the mix and virtually decided it in addition to keeping a loud crowd on the edge of its seats.
For East, junior forward Troy Wiese grabbed 11 rebounds and scored eight points, none bigger than when he ran down a loose ball at the Grizzlies’ free-throw line and raced for a layup in the final seconds that proved to be the winning points.
“I just came in expecting to play tough defense,” Wiese said. “This is the championship game and I wanted to perform.”
Angels senior forward Koree Ross, recently inserted into the starting lineup, made 6-of-8 free throws in OT, including the final two of the game with 12.5 seconds to play.
“It was all about hard work and us becoming a team,” Ross said as he carried the championship trophy.
ThunderRidge’s Larry Riley contributed 10 points and much-needed energy off the bench, and Troy Noser left his chair for the first time in the final seconds of OT and promptly canned a 3-pointer that brought the Grizzlies within a point.
East jumped out to a lead in OT as Mookie Gilbert scored on a layup off the tip and did not surrender it.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a game that was more in the balance,” ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz said.
East and 4A Abraham Lincoln each won two in a row to allow the city to retain the upper levels of basketball, the first time that has occurred since 1951-52, when East and Brighton repeated in AA and A.
East 10 14 17 5 16 — 62
ThunderRidge 6 14 16 10 13 — 59
East — Verner 2 2-4 6, Hildreth 0 0-0 0, Ross 3 6-8 13, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Wiese 3 1-3 8, Da. Thornton 2 2-4 6, Gilbert 3 4-4 11, Thornton 5 7-9 18. Totals 18 22-32 62.
ThunderRidge — Stern 3 2-2 10, Foote 3 0-0 7, Arnold 2 2-4 6, Tiedgen 6 2-2 16, Becker 3 1-1 7, Riley 4 0-0 10, Noser 1 0-0 3, Davidson 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 7-9 59.
3-point goals — Stern 2, Riley 2, TGiedgen 2, Noser, Foote; Ross, Wiese, Gilbert, De. Thornton.
Total fouls — East , ThunderRidge . Fouled out — None. Technicals — None.
All-tournament team: 5A boys
Reggie Jackson, Sr., Palmer
Demetrius Thornton, Sr., East
Zach Tiedgen, Sr., ThunderRidge
Jamiko Verner, Sr., East
Gage Wooten, Jr., Eaglecrest
MVP: Jamiko Verner
