The Lutheran Lions roared into Saturday’s 5A state title game behind a double-double by 6-foot-9 Indiana State commit Kade Speckman, who scored 31 points and hauled in 11 rebounds in a 77-70 win over Windsor on Thursday afternoon.
The silky-smooth Speckman made 11 of 12 shots, including sinking two of his three 3-pointers, as Lutheran survived a fourth-quarter surge by Windsor at the Denver Coliseum.
The 10th-seeded Lutheran boys (19-8) join the girls team in Saturday’s finals, seeking a rare double-school championship. The boys face , in the finals.
The Lions led the 11th-seeded Wizards from the outset, outscoring them 21-10 in the first quarter when Speckman scored the first seven points — including an alley-oop dunk.
The game was tipping toward a Lutheran blowout, but Windsor never let that happen. The Wizards used a suffocating press to force Lutheran turnovers in the fourth quarter, and when Cam Smith hit a layup, the Wizards cut the lead to 68-64 with 2:12 remaining.
However, the Lions made the plays – and the free throws – down the stretch to put the game away.
Speckman had plenty of help. Senior guard Logan Clarkson scored 15 points, shooting 3 of 4 from beyond the arc. Senior point guard Landon Hastedt added 15 points.
Windsor was led by Madden Smiley, who scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed six rebounds. The Wizards finished their season 19-8.
