LAFAYETTE — Trying to find a rhythm was nearly impossible Friday night, but when host Monarch needed one last little spark senior Max Stanford provided it. His three free throws in the final 15 seconds, including the front end of a one-and-one with 6.3 seconds remaining, gave the Coyotes just enough for a 69-65 5A Front Range Conference victory over Rocky Mountain.
But things looked bleak early on.
Rocky Mountain (8-5), which has lost four of its last five, jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening 76 seconds. Once Monarch (7-4) produced 11 of the next 14 points it was just the beginning of what was going to be a nip-and-tuck affair.
Neither team led by more than six points until the Coyotes ran off a 19-3 surge in the third quarter to go ahead by 14.
“We just had to get into a rhythm, and we started sharing the ball. That’s the most important thing. We were sharing the ball, moving the ball. That backside reversal was open and the kick for three was open too. All we had to do was just move the ball, get to the backside reversal. And we played as a team,” said Stanford, who scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half.
But the Lobos weren’t done. Behind five of their 12 3-pointers over the game’s final 10:22 Rocky Mountain closed to within 66-65 with 30 seconds left. But after Stanford hit two free throws with 15 seconds left, the Lobos’ Michael Dermody was called for an offensive foul with his team having a chance to tie and Stanford put the game on ice a second later.
“We had some good looks, and we turned it over. (With) a combination of missed shots and turnovers you’re not going to win too many down the stretch like that,” Rocky Mountain coach Bruce Dick said.
Rocky Mountain20 11 18 16 — 65
Monarch19 13 23 14 — 69
Rocky Mountain — LeVett 6 3-4 19, McDonald 0 0-0 0, Fergen 0 0-0 0, Crabtree 3 0-0 9, Feller 9 1-2 22, Hoppal 1 0-0 3, Traufield 1 0-0 3, Roglen 1 0-0 2, House 1 0-0 2, E. Karp 0 3-4 3, Bonk 1 0-0 2, Dermody 0 0-0 0. Totals — 23 7-10 65.
Monarch — McGinley 5 5-8 16, Shefte 0 0-0 0, Moon 0 0-0 0, Stanford 6 7-8 21, McCrudden 0 0-0 0, Spence 7 1-3 15, Dovey 3 1-3 9, Brooks 2 3-4 8, Webb 0 0-0 0, Kawulok 0 0-0 0. Totals — 23 17-26 69.
3-pointers — Rocky Mountain 12 — LeVett 4, Crabtree 3, Feller 3, Hoppal, Traufield; Monarch 6 — Stanford 2, Dovey 2, McGinley, Brooks. Total fouls — Rocky Mountain 19, Monarch 17. Fouled out — None.
