LAKEWOOD — Why should it be easy? Columbine blew an 11-0 lead Wednesday night against host Lakewood. It had to drive the length of the floor in the final four seconds in regulation for a layup to tie the score. And it needed a free throw with 0.1 of a tick left in overtime to win it.
Antonio Chavez made the front end of a one-and-one situation, then purposely misfired on the second attempt to seal the Rebels’ crazy 56-55 victory over the Tigers in a Class 5A Jefferson County League game.
Columbine (10-6, 5-2) is a game behind Dakota Ridge, which was handed its first loss by Lakewood (7-9, 4-3).
So 5A Jeffco may be in for its best race in years.
“Yeah, I thought they did,” Chavez, a senior, said when asked if he was fouled on a loose ball out front. “I was trying to help the team win. We’re trying to win a league championship.”
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After officials conferred, Chavez drilled the first free throw to decide it.
“We’ll take anything we can get,” Rebels coach Clay Thielking said. “I thought both teams played well.”
Well enough to keep it close. After Columbine made its first four shots, Lakewood rallied to tie the game at 29 at halftime. Back and forth they went throughout the second half.
Chavez, a 5-foot-10 guard, scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter and extra session. Keaton Matthies (13 points) and Michael Tait (12) were the Rebels’ other main contributors. For the Tigers, sophomore Kolton Peterson roared to 13 of his 19 points in the second quarter. Jacob Storey (15) and Manuel Garcia (12) also aided Lakewood.
Peterson made a move for a short jumper to give the Tigers a 49-47 lead with four seconds to go in regulation, before Chavez answered at the buzzer.
“He stepped up when we needed him,” Thielking said.
Neil H. Devlin: ndevlin@denverpost.com or
Columbine (10-6): 19 10 11 9 7 — 56
Lakewood (7-9): 11 18 12 8 6 — 55
Columbine — Chavez 5 4-5 14, Mi. Tait 4 2-2 12, DeGraaf 2 0-0 4, Holen 3 0-0 8, Matthies 5 0-1 13, Ma. Tait 0 0-0 0, Reese 2 1-2 5. Totals 21 7-11 56.
Lakewood — Bailey 0 0-0 0, Storey 7 1-1 15, Christy 1 2-3 4, Peterson 8 3-3 19, Thompson 1 2-2 5, M. Garcia 5 0-1 12, J. Garcia 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-10 55.
3-pt. goals — Matthies 3, Holen 2, Mi. Tait 2; M. Garcia 2, Thompson.
