Those holding the hottest ticket in Denver on Saturday afternoon may be excused for not knowing ahead of time that Phillip Watts would deliver an unlikely encore performance.
In front of an estimated 2,500 fans, Watts, a junior reserve for East, scored 13 points in overtime as the two-time defending Class 5A champion Angels ended the undefeated run of George Washington 71-63 at a sweltering Thundersauna, er, Thunderdome.
East, ranked No. 5 in The Denver Post/9News Class 5A poll, improved to 15-4 and took control of the Denver Prep League at 4-0. No. 3 George Washington is 19-1, 4-1.
Tied at 52 after regulation, Watts scored eight of East’s first 10 points, including a 3-pointer that provided the decisive spark. He also made 4-of-6 free throws.
“We were in foul trouble, and we needed help,” Watts said. “Somebody had to step up. They were giving me shots, and I was taking them.”
East never trailed in OT, and Watt’s offensive binge couldn’t have come at a better time.
“He can play, all these kids can, and he’s playing behind seniors,” East coach Rudy Carey said.
GW made three late 3-pointers and forced East to convert free throws, but the Patriots never got going offensively, struggled throughout with turnovers and squandered a four-point lead with possession of the ball with less than three minutes to play in the fourth quarter.
“Mental errors, the little things that hurt us, the ones we’ve been preaching about,” Patriots coach Michael Rogers said. “The time when to throw a bounce pass, when to throw a chest pass . . . just the things you can’t do against a fundamentally sound defensive team.”
Back and forth they went through regulation. East had the better of it as Highlands Ranch transfer Jace Davis turned in his best game with a team-high 21 points. East’s DaVaughn Thornton scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, Patrick Hilaire contributed eight points and lots of interior defense, and point guard Quentin Hildreth scored 10.
For GW, Thomas Bropleh led all scorers with 24 points and had eight rebounds, and Tyrelle Millard scored 18, all on 3-pointers.
As usual with big city games, the athleticism was superior and entertaining, notably with Thornton rejecting a dunk attempt by GW’s Tyrone Marshall and grabbing consecutive rebounds that led to three-quarter-court outlet passes for easy layups by Hildreth.
But all was topped by Watts.
“He played a great game and we needed it,” Davis said.
Watts finished with 16 and is looking for more.
“I’m just a junior, so this will be my team next year,” he said.
He already has a start on it.
George Washington 11 15 12 14 11 — 63
East 14 16 11 11 19 — 71
George Washington — Millard 6 0-0 18, Adams 2 1-2 5, Bropleh 7 9-11 24, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Sather 1 0-0 3, Balous 2 4-4 8, Marshall 2 1-2 5. Totals 20 15-19 63.
East — Thornton 5 3-5 13, Hildreth 4 1-2 10, Wiese 0 0-0 0, Merriex 1 0-1 3, Hilaire 3 2-3 8, Davis 8 3-4 21, Watts 5 4-6 16. Totals 26 13-21 71.
3-point goals — Millard 6, Bropleh, Sather; Davis 2, Watts 2, Hildreth, Merriex. Total fouls — George Washington 18, East 18. Fouled out — Balous, Hilaire. Technicals — None.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
