Ryan Winters and Regis Jesuit had seen this before.
Aurora crosstown rival Rangeview ran out to a quick lead Saturday on white-hot shooting. But Winters, an emerging senior forward, and Regis Jesuit never blinked.
Two-time defending state champion Regis Jesuit showed it wants to play for a third title, establishing superiority down the stretch in rolling to a 69-56 victory in Class 5A’s Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
Regis Jesuit (21-5) won its eighth game in a row. It will meet Arapahoe in the final four Thursday at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The Warriors won the teams’ Dec. 17 meeting 54-51.
Winters knew Rangeview would bang inside and drive to the basket, and that he and his teammates had to be ready.
“Definitely it was a big thing. (Rangeview’s Jeffrey) Solarin averages almost 15 boards per game,” Winters said. “But we did a really good job of boxing him out. They were hitting (3-pointers) all over . . . but in the championship game last year in Boulder, we were down by a lot, so we know how to play when down.”
Rangeview made seven of its first eight shots in running to a 14-2 lead before Regis Jesuit went on a 35-18 binge during the middle quarters.
Credit the inside play of Winters (team-high 21 points and seven rebounds), steady guard Michael Clark (18 points) and a wave of others including Drew Dyer, Josh Perkins, Tanner Samson and Colin Smith, who moved the ball and defended.
Regis Jesuit may have foolishly opened in a zone defense, coach Ken Shaw said, “but credit Rangeview for its shooting. We were patient on offense, and at this time of year you just have to find a way to get the job done and move on.”
Rangeview (22-4), which had won 14 games in a row, was led by Jamal Wright’s 24 points and Solarin’s 16 (and 12 rebounds). The team’s showing followed a revival of its football team, which entered the quarterfinals undefeated.Rangeview 24 8 10 14 — 56
Regis Jesuit 17 14 21 17 — 69
Rangeview — Wright 9 4-4 24, Awini 1 3-6 5, J. Solarin 6 4-5 16, Harris 0 0-2 0, G. Solarin 3 0-0 8, Tidwell 0 0-0 0, Paige 0 0-0 0, Holt 0 0-0 0, Turner 1 1-2 3. Totals 20 12-19 56.
Regis Jesuit — Winters 7 7-8 21, Clark 5 4-4 18, Dyer 3 1-2 8, Smith 3 1-2 10, Samson 2 4-5 8, MacDonald 0 0-0 0, Perkins 1 0-0 2, Lesnansky 1 0-2 2. Totals 22 17-23 69.
3-point goals: Rangeview — Wright 2, Solarin 2. Regis Jesuit — Clark 4, Smith 3, Dyer. Fouled out — Wright, Perkins. Fouls — Rangeview 18, Regis 17. Fouled out — Holt, Wright. Technicals — None.
