Only two more games stand between the Rangeview boys basketball team and perfection.
Senior Obi Agbim posted a game-high 19 points to help power the unbeaten Raiders (26-0) past Columbine, 59-43, in the Class 5A Great 8 at Denver Coliseum on Saturday night.
“It feels really good,” said Agbim, who led the defending 5A champions with eight rebounds. “They’ve been doubting us and coach has been trusting us for many years. And now they know who we are.”
The Raiders’ next dance partner certainly knows. Rangeview will face fifth-seeded Grandview (21-6) in one of two Final Four matchups Friday at the Coliseum.
Rangeview bested the Wolves — the 2018 5A champions — by a 38-37 score back on Dec. 6 at Rangeview in the Raiders’ season-opener.
“Yeah, that’s a little bit of a rivalry,” said Christopher Speller, who dropped 11 points on the Rebels. “We always tend to match up with (Grandview). So it should be a pretty good game and a pretty good crowd.”
Columbine, the ninth seed in 5A, looked to be a pretty fair matchup — but only for about a half. The Raiders opened up breathing room late in second quarter, as Ronnie Hatch’s layup with a minute left in the half opened up a 29-19 cushion for Rangeview.
The No. 1 seed in the bracket extended the lead to 42-28 on Christopher Speller’s trey from the top of the arc and kept Columbine at arm’s length from there.
“I feel like every team that comes here to the Coliseum, their first game they are just a little nervous,” Rangeview guard Christian Speller said. “But after we came in at halftime, we saw that we’ve been here before and we know how to play in this type of place.”
Columbine senior Luke O’Brien, a CU Buffs signee, paced the Rebels with 18 points, nine boards and two assists.
