PUEBLO — Thanks to an intense defense, the Dragons (25-1) are going to play for their second boys basketball state championship in school history.
Holyoke held Ignacio to 15 points in the second half en route to claiming a semifinal victory at Massari Arena.
“Our defense was definitely the key,” veteran Holyoke coach John Baumgartner said. “We don’t play much zone, but we played zone in the second half and we were able to shut down their big guy (Alex Herrera) and we got our offense going.”
Austin Tharp had a team-best 13 points for the Dragons, who won the Class 2A state title in 1984. The 6-foot-7 Herrera had 15 points, but only four in the second half.
“A lot of people doubted us, and we came down here to the state tournament with a vengeance,” said Tharp, who made 11-of-14 free throws. “We want to get that gold ball.”
Holding a slim 21-18 lead at the half, the Dragons used a strong third quarter to take a 30-22 edge.
The Bobcats (23-2), who moved down from 3A to 2A this season, could get no closer than 37-30 with 1:16 to play on a 3-pointer by Taylor Dean.
“We kept getting the ball into the post in the second half, but the ball just kept falling out of our hands and I don’t know how that kept happening,” Ignacio coach Chris Valdez said. “They were real aggressive getting the ball and we didn’t shoot the ball as well as I thought we would.”
