“This was the greatest second-round game I’ve ever been a part of,” East coach Dwight Berry said Saturday.
On a day when his Angels couldn’t buy an outside shot if they were armed with coupons, they were able to overcome a big effort by Rock Canyon in a 55-53 squeaker at Pat Panek Gymnasium in Class 5A’s second round.
East will take a 16-7 record into Wednesday’s Sweet 16 after halting the Jaguars at 19-6.
Berry, impressed with the Jags, who compete in the powerful Continental League, could only watch as East was just 2-of-11 at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. But a late 10-0 binge and terrific play off the bench by Francesca Sally and Khadijah Vigil proved vital.
“Free throws just killed us,” Berry said of a 13-of-28 performance. “But (Sally and Vigil) did great off the bench. When we were down, we stayed composed, moved the ball well and got it inside.”
The Angels kept firing blanks from the perimeter (no 3-pointers), but Sally and Vigil were effective inside and on follow-ups.
Sally, a 6-foot-1 junior, usually is a starter, but she has been nursing a separated shoulder.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” she said. “I want my starting spot back, but whatever the team needs.”
She scored a team-high 13 points before fouling out. Michelle Cox added 11 and Vigil scored 10 as East packed it in on defense, but also increased perimeter pressure and had some moments with its press. A free throw by Asia Roper with 26 seconds to play proved to be the winning point.
As for the Jags, they could have run away and hidden multiple times and led 46-39 early in the fourth quarter. But they went cold (4-of-14 down the stretch) and suffered a couple of key turnovers in the final moments. They dressed only two seniors.
“We’re a young team and we’re still trying to learn,” coach Robbie Ballard said.
The Jags’ Morgan Roos led all scorers with 15 points.
For the Angels, Berry said his girls “deserve to continue to play, and I want the state to see us. It’s interesting. You never know what you’re going to get.”
Rock Canyon: 13 19 10 11 — 53
Denver East: 13 14 12 16 — 55
Rock Canyon: Koslosky 2 4-4 8, C. Thorderson 2 0-0 6, McClarie 2 3-4 9, L. Thorderson 1 4-4 6, Roos 5 5-6 15, Roth 4 0-0 8, McKenzie 0 1-2 1, Sullivan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 17-20 53.
Denver East: Roper 1 1-2 3, Peevy 2 2-4 6, Jones 0 0-0 0, Taylor 3 0-0 6, Richardson 2 2-3 6, Cox 4 3-4 11, Sally 4 5-10 13, Warrior 0 0-0 0, Vigil 5 0-5 10. Totals: 21 13-28 55.
3-point goals: C. Thorderson 2, McClarie 2. Fouled out — Sally.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
