Grandview boys basketball holds off Chaparral to move to 5A Final 4
DENVER — Grandview boys basketball is headed to its first Final 4 since 2006.
The Wolves knocked off No. 3-seeded Chaparral 59-53 in the Class 5A Great 8 on Saturday to advance to next week’s semifinal round. They will face ThunderRidge on Friday.
The Wolves used a monster third quarter that saw them nail 9-of-12 shots, including 4-of-6 from 3-point, to build a 42-37 lead. Grandview would maintain that lead the rest of the way in securing the win.
“We had energy, and we just relaxed,” Grandview coach Michael Rogers said said of the third quarter. “We were just so tight the first half, like we didn’t know how to play basketball. But we came out, we adjusted. … The kids just believed in themselves.”
Chaparral fought back in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to two points with two minutes to play, but Grandview hit its free throws down the stretch the seal the win. Included were five from Levi Dombro, a junior.
“The kids stepped up at the end and hit some big free throws for us,” Rogers said.
Chaparral did have a chance to tie the game, but, down 56-53, Joseph Dalton’s 3-point attempt barely rimmed out with 25 seconds left.
It marks Grandview’s first trip to the Final 4 since that 2005-06 season, which was the second of two consecutive trips to that round, and third in four seasons.
“Hopefully we’re establishing some type of tradition and expectations of our kids and our program,” said Rogers, now in his fourth season. “Gary (Childress) did a great job before I was here, and I’m just trying to put my mark on it and hope that the kids perform well.”
Dayne Prim led Grandview with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, as well as six rebounds.
“That was probably the most patient I’ve seen him,” Prim said. “He took quality shots tonight.”
Each team started slowly in the first quarter — Chaparral led 7-4 — but things picked up in the second. The Wolverines took a 22-20 lead into halftime, despite leading 14-6 at one point in the second quarter.
After the break, Grandview started to assert itself. The Wolves’ excellent third quarter turned into that five-point lead at 42-37.
As the fourth quarter opened, Caleb McGill hit a layup to push Grandview’s lead to 44-37 with 7:36 to go. The Wolves maintained at least five-point lead until Chaparral’s Ronnie DeGray III cut into the margin with a bucket that made it 50-47 with 2:53 to go.
50 seconds later, DeGray hit two free throws to further trim the margin down to two at 51-49. But Grandview’s clutch free throw shooting didn’t allow Chaparral to get any closer.
Grandview (22-4) entered the game having won eight straight games, while Chaparral (21-5) had won five in a row.
DeGray led Chaparral with 22 points. Kobe Sanders added 15.
Tanner Unger had 10 points for Grandview, Ben Boone had nine, and Davon Walker added eight.
