ARVADA — A game that could have started with swords and staves ended with the top-ranked Faith Christian Eagles just being patient.
Albeit a very aggressive patience.
The Eagles weathered several runs by longtime parochial rival Holy Family, then put the Tigers to sleep Thursday night with a zone defense and free throws down the stretch for a 65-56 victory in the Class 3A Metropolitan League opener for both teams.
The two-time defending state champion Eagles (7-0) trailed throughout the first quarter, then slowly used their depth, superior dribble penetration and size to wrest control from the feisty Tigers (5-3).
“It was a dogfight,” Eagles senior guard Joel Hegarty said. “We were waiting until we got in a comfortable position so we could settle in the zone (defense).”
Hegarty finished with 15 points, and 6-foot-6 senior Hayden Loudenslager had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and also blocked three shots.
Loudenslager and 6-5 senior Chris Brekke needed until the fourth quarter to rule in the paint. It was territory won through elbows, grabs, hard rebounds, hard fouls, tenacity and teamwork.
“Our depth is a huge bonus,” Loudenslager said. “Our second five push us every practice.”
The Tigers made their intentions clear from the get-go. They flew at the Eagles for a transition offense, pressured the outside, battled for every loose ball, put the Eagles on their heels and got under their skin.
But missed free throws was a theme from the second quarter on — the Tigers shot just 13-of-29 from the line — and when the Eagles switched to their zone, the Tigers were sluggish and struggled getting the ball inside.
“I thought that was big when they went to the zone,” Holy Family coach Gunnar Johnson said. “We didn’t execute well enough when they went to the zone.”
The Tigers pulled to within one point in the third quarter and were down four to start the fourth, but they didn’t sink a basket for more than five minutes in the final frame and missed seven free throws.
Senior guard Jeremiah Haynes scored a game-high 17 points, and Nick Bovine and Josh Tinnon added 14 points apiece. Tinnon also had 11 rebounds and two blocked shots.
Holy Family 14 17 14 11 — 56
Faith Christian 13 25 11 16 — 65
Holy Family — Bovine 3 6-8 14, Sommers 3 0-0 6, Tinnon 5 4-11 14, Haynes 6 3-6 17, Cribari 0 0-4 0, Golter 0 0-0 0, Willis 0 0-0 0, Murphy 2 0-0 5.
Totals 19 13-29 56.
Faith Christian — Hegarty 5 4-4 15, D. Rindels 4 3-4 11, Twedell 1 0-1 2, Brekke 1 3-6 5, Loudenslager 6 3-4 15, N. Rindels 0 2-2 2, McCartney 3 2-4 8, Smith 0 0-0 0, Colson 3 0-0 7, Chapman 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 17-25 65.
3-point goals — Bovine 2, Haynes 2, Murphy; Hegarty, Colson. Total fouls — Holy Family 22, Faith Christian 23. Fouled out — None. Technical foul — Twedell.
