Highlands Ranch understood the threat.
Chris Hansen of Fossil Ridge entered Saturday’s Class 5A Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum more likely to score 40 or more points — he had done so four times — than score less than 20 (three times).
Those numbers made it easy for the Falcons to discern their chief objective, and they got it done, effectively putting the clamps on the SaberCats’ senior in a 63-49 win.
Highlands Ranch (25-1), which will take on Boulder in the semifinals Thursday at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, limited Hansen to a manageable 18 points — eight came in the latter stages — an output that included only four points midway through the third quarter.
“They sat in a 2-3 zone, and wherever I was, they stuck one guy on me,” said Hansen, whose output was five off his season low, although he grabbed 15 rebounds. “Wherever I’d go, they’d bring the top guy or a guard on me, and I never really got into a rhythm.”
The Falcons, who will take a 19-game winning streak into the final four, generally are guided by University of Denver-bound seniors Brett Olson and Marcus Byrd, but 6-foot-8 junior Austin Haldorson might have been the finest Falcon on the floor. Haldorson had 18 points, seven rebounds and two punctuating dunks in the fourth.
“It feels great,” Haldorson said, “especially in this big of a game.”
Olson (20 points) and Byrd (12 points 10 rebounds) also did their part on Hansen.
“We tried to deny him the ball, but if he did get it we wanted to double and make him get rid of it,” Olson said.
Added Haldorson: “We just needed to recognize where he was at all times on the court.”
Cody McCoy led Fossil Ridge (24-2) with 19 points, but shot 7-for-21 from the floor. The SaberCats had a nine-game winning streak snapped.
Fossil Ridge 10 10 12 17 — 49
Highlands Ranch 17 11 15 20 — 63
Fossil Ridge — McCoy 7 1-2 19, Tynan 0 0-0 0, Kuchta 1 0-0 2, Hansen 6 4-6 18, Blum 2 0-0 6, Bra-shear 0 0-0 0, LeVett 1 0-0 2, Bryant 1 0-2 2, Quaid 0 0-0 0, Sofias 0 0-0 0, Baeverstad 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 5-10 49.
Highlands Ranch — Olson 6 5-7 20, Bucholtz 1 5-8 7, Haldorson 8 2-3 18, Anttila 2 0-1 4, Byrd 4 3-5 12, Brady 0 0-0 0, Donatell 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 15-24.
3-point goals — McCoy 4, Hansen 2, Blum 2; Olson 3, Byrd. Total fouls — Fossil Ridge 21, Highlands Ranch 12. Fouled out — McCoy. Technicals — None.
