Tommy Olson fell to his knees Saturday, the realization of what had just happened sinking in on the Jefferson Academy senior guard. The Jaguars, previously undefeated and seeded third in the Class 3A boys basketball tournament, had their way most of the season, winning all but four of their games by double figures.
But Peak to Peak wasn’t intimidated. The Pumas proved to be more than a willing opponent. And it didn’t hurt to have a little fate on their side.
J.P. Mile made a steal and a layup with 40 seconds left that snapped the 10th and final tie of the game and Peak to Peak avenged an earlier defeat with a 66-63 win at Ranum High School.
The 14th-seeded Pumas (16-8) advanced to Thursday’s state quarter-finals at Moby Arena in Fort Collins for the first time in school history.
The win could be called the biggest ever for Peak to Peak. You certainly won’t convince Pumas coach Tony Peters otherwise.
“I think so,” Peters said. “I told them when Jefferson Academy, at the end of the third quarter, got up seven and was out there celebrating, that the game’s not over, to keep on playing. And that’s what they did.”
With the game tied 63-63 in the final minute and Peak to Peak with the ball, Jefferson Academy’s Jordan Roland made a steal in the low post. But just as quickly, Roland lost the ball back to Mile, who scored for the winning points. Eric Goedde, who led the Pumas with 20 points, added a free throw for the three-point cushion.
Jefferson Academy had one last shot, but Roland’s final 3-point attempt just missed the mark.
“They beat us earlier in the year in a fourth-quarter rally against us. We played bad in the fourth quarter. We wanted to come back and show them we could play,” said Mile, whose 14 points made him one of four players in double figures for the Pumas.
The Jaguars (23-1) rode the strong play of Olson, who hit five of his six 3-point attempts en route to a game-high 22 points in the second half, and Jason Propst, who finished with 21 points (14 in the first half).
Jefferson Academy, which fell behind by seven points late in the second quarter, went on an 8-0 run to lead 51-44 entering the fourth quarter. But Peak to Peak scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to set up the exhilarating finish.
“We made a couple of defensive bad rotations, and you can’t leave them open for a second because they’re going to hit shots,” Jefferson Academy coach Mark Sharpley said. “Seven points certainly is no safe lead at any point in time in a regional final.”
Peak to Peak 13 21 10 22 — 66
Jefferson Academy 15 16 20 12 — 63
Peak to Peak — VanDehy 1 0-0 2, Hoefling 4 0-0 11, Oblinger 1 2-2 5, Mile 6 2-4 14, Fangman 5 2-4 12, Goedde 5 8-12 20, Williams 0 0-0 0, Cepulis 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 14-22 66.
Jefferson Academy — Olson 7 2-2 22, Lewis 0 0-0 0, Jenkins 4 0-0 8, Ryan 0 0-0 0, Burkel 0 0-0 0, Propst 7 7-9 21, Ukuni 0 6-8 6, Layton 1 0-1 2, Roland 1 2-4 4. Totals 20 17-24 63.
3-point goals — Hoefling 3, Goedde 2, Oblinger; Olson 6. Total fouls — Peak to Peak 21, Jefferson Academy 23. Technical fouls — None. Fouled out — Burkel.
