GOLDEN — Sierra senior Wesley Gordon has already celebrated two Class 4A championships at his soon-to-be college basketball home, the Coors Events Center.
Thanks to his left-handed layup with 4.9 seconds left in Friday night’s Great 8 game against D’Evelyn, the University of Colorado-bound Gordon has a chance to go for a third.
Gordon took a pass from senior guard Jalen Little and softly banked in the shot for a 65-63 victory for the top-seeded Bill Weimar Region team at Lockridge Arena on the Colorado School of Mines campus.
“It feels good,” Gordon said of returning to the final four at CU for the first time in two years. “I haven’t lost there.”
Also returning “home” is second-year Sierra coach Terry Dunn, a former CU assistant coach.
Dunn set up the play against D’Evelyn’s press after the No. 2-seeded Jaguars tied the game with 14.6 seconds left on a 4-point play by high-scoring junior guard Luke Stratman.
Sierra (25-1) got the ball to Gordon near midcourt, and he gave it to Little, both heading for the basket. Little dished the ball to Gordon for a statement shot and the biggest basket in the Stallions’ season.
“That he’s a go-to guy and has been the last two years,” Dunn said. “We wanted to get the ball to Wes inside.”
D’Evelyn (22-3) rallied from 11 points down early in the fourth quarter behind Stratman. The 6-1 junior, who averages 24.2 points, had 14 at halftime but was stuck on that total until about 4½ minutes left in the game.
Stratman scored 12 of the Jaguars’ final 17 points, including three 3-pointers, finishing with 26 points.
The final one was spectacular. Hanging in the air, off balance, Stratman incredibly made the shot and drew a foul from Deon Wilson. He made the free throw, setting up a frantic final 14.6 seconds.
D’Evelyn tried a long pass after Gordon’s basket, but it sailed long and out of bounds.
Gordon said he underestimated the smaller Jaguars.
“I never heard of them in my life,” he said. “But they came out tough.”
Dunn sat Gordon for the final 5:16 of the first half after he picked up his second foul, leading to an 11-4 Jaguars run for a 29-26 halftime lead.
