Denver East boys basketball coach Rudy Carey always has expressed confidence in junior guard Demetrius Cardoza.
On Thursday, when everything was on the line against Denver Prep League rival Abraham Lincoln, Cardoza came off the bench and rewarded his coach’s faith.
Freshman guard Dominique Collier shot the Angels into the lead during the third quarter, but it was Cardoza who carried them home, scoring all six of his points in the final 1:25 to lift Denver East to a 71-65 victory.
“(Cardoza) is capable,” said Carey, whose team has won seven consecutive games. “We’ve got several kids that are capable, and he stepped up tonight and made the big shots. He also played great defense. Every one from here on out is a big win.
“Lincoln is very well coached, and they are tough kids. Our kids responded to their charge.”
Collier scored 15 of his team-leading 24 points during the third quarter, helping the Angels (13-4, 4-0) to a 57-50 lead early in the fourth. Lincoln (12-6, 3-1), which had its seven-game winning streak snapped, answered with nine consecutive points and held a one-point lead with 1:38 remaining before Cardoza came through with his clutch baskets.
A 3-pointer by Cardoza, his first basket of the game, put the Angels ahead for good. Cardoza converted a layup off a Lincoln turnover moments later, as East finished the game with an 11-4 run.
Cardoza also helped provide crucial late defense on Lincoln standout Dominic Williams. The Lancers senior made nine of his first 10 shots en route to a game-high 27 points, but Williams was held to a lone field goal in the final quarter.
“This is a big win,” Collier said. “We play George (Washington) on Saturday, so this is a big one to get. Coach at halftime told me to start looking for my offense, so I went out there looking to shoot more. Then I just found it.”
Abraham Lincoln 17 19 13 16 — 65
Denver East 19 19 17 16 — 71
Lincoln — Jurado 1 0-0 3, Williams 10 6-10 27, Vasquez 1 0-0 2, Abeyta 6 2-2 18, Zamora 2 4-4 8, Logan 2 1-3 5, Muniz 0 0-0 0, Rich 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 13-19 65.
East — Carter 5 1-2 14, Collier 7 6-8 24, Gee 6 0-2 12, Hakeem 3 0-0 7, Whitaker 4 0-0 8, Robinson 0 0-3 0, Thompson 0 0-0 0, Cardoza 2 1-2 6. Totals 27 8-17 71.
3-point goals — Abeyta 4, Jurado, Williams; Collier 4, Carter 3, Hakeem, Cardoza. Fouls — Lincoln 19, East 20.
