Josh Walton hit a free throw with 0.8 seconds left in overtime as No. 1 Eaglecrest pulled off a comeback victory over No. 5 on Friday night at the Coliseum, erasing a double-digit deficit in the second half en route to a 61-60 victory and second straight trip to the Class 5A title game.
Raptors senior Colbey Ross, a Pepperdine commit, led the Raptors with 25 points while Walton added 13 points.
Senior point guard Sam Masten paced the Jaguars with 34 points, while junior guard Tyson Gilbert was also key for the Jaguars, pouring in 15 points and diverting defensive attention away from Masten.
The first half was evenly played, with teams trading big shots as they did in their regular season meeting on Dec. 6, a 60-55 victory for the Jaguars. Rock Canyon (23-4) led by double digits at one point in the second quarter, but Ross willed his team back into the game and the Raptors (23-4) trailed by eight at half before the second half became a battle of wills and led to overtime.
The Raptors’ win extends the legendary coaching career of John Olander by one more game, as the 16th-year head honcho is set to retire at the end of this season and has led Eaglecrest to 11 Sweet 16s, seven Elite Eights and five Final Fours in addition to winning the 2013 5A state championship.
The Raptors take on No. 3 on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. in the championship game.
