BOULDER — It was unexpectedly one-sided from the opening tipoff.
Defending state champion Regis Jesuit blow out Doherty on Thursday night in the Class 5A semifinals.
The Raiders improved to 26-1 and won their 25th straight game, 44th in a row against in-state competition.
Doherty ended 17-10.
The Raiders led 18-7 after a quarter, 35-19 at halftime.
Doherty, which erased an 18-point deficit against Rampart to win in the Great 8, neve rgot close, shooting just 30 percent in the first half.
Fairview 69, Aurora Central 57
Their captain and emotional leader went down in the second quarter, but the Knights rode on.
With a new lineup sans two players, Fairview advanced to the final Thursday with a 69-57 victory over Aurora Central at the Coors Events Center a year after losing in the semifinals.
Darragh O’Neill hurt his ankle with just under three minutes remaining before halftime and the senior did not return. But the Knights (22-5) battled on without their leading scorer, halting the upstart Trojans (20-7) and their 11-game winning streak.
The Trojans trailed 14-0 to the start the game, then battled back to tied it at 21. The Knights pulled away in the third quarter, only for the Trojans to again rally to tie the score at 45 early in the fourth quarter.
But the Knights, who saw their undefeated season end at this point last season in overtime, would not be denied. With some key defensive stops, a few clutch free throws and smart offensive sets where they killed the clock and found easy shots, the Knights kept the Trojans at bay down the stretch.
