LITTLETON — Chatfield’s boys basketball team is not a stranger games coming down to the wire this season.
Short-handed Columbine was the latest close call as the Rebels rallied from a double-digit deficit late in the fourth quarter against Chatfield (10-6, 3-0 in Class 5A Jeffco). Columbine junior Ty Afraimi made a bucket with 2:46 left in the fourth quarter to cut the Chargers’ lead to 48-44.
“We talked about how we’ve been in the situation many times before already this season,” Chatfield coach Erik Buehler said of in a tight game in the fourth quarter. “We know defensively that will eventually kick in. We just needed a few more stops, not turnover the ball and knock down free throws.”
Chatfield did just that going on a 8-0 run in the final minutes to grab a 56-44 victory. It was the Chargers’ seventh win in eight games.
“Obviously it feels amazing,” Chatfield senior Marquis Jones said after he scored a team-high 16 points in the victory over rival Columbine. “We came in knowing it was going to be a big game. It just feels good to come out with the win. I felt like we deserved the win.”
The Chargers had the upper-hand having already edge the Rebels three weeks ago in a non-league game on Chatfield’s home court. Columbine (10-7, 1-1) was on a 3-game winning streak, but had lost 6-foot-7 senior Davian Bryant for the remainder of the season with a broken arm he suffered Wednesday at Brighton.
Without the Rebels’ defensive rim protector, who was averaging a double-double in his final four games before the unfortunate injury, the Chargers were determined to attack the rim early and often.
“Our game plan was basically get it into the paint whether it was through our bigs or driving,” Jones said. “We just stuck to that the whole game.”
Jones and junior Shay Rumsey (10 points) did most of their damage driving into the lane. Senior Chase Miller finished with 13 points, most coming when he was fouled on the inside. Miller went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.
“We knew we should win the glass battle,” Buehler said of the Chargers controlling the boards without Bryant. “We wanted to get even more touches (inside) than what we got, but the guys were attacking the rim too.”
Chatfield senior Parker Teff hit a trio of 3-pointers when the Rebels had collapsed on the the Chargers’ inside game. However, it was Jones who the key to Chatfield completing the regular-season sweep of Columbine.
“He (Jones) has kind of been on a little bit of a tear the last four or five games,” Buehler said. “He has been a rock with our injuries and illnesses. He has been that steading force. He knows how to make teammates work together well. He is that type of leader.”
Afraimi (11 points) and junior Tyler Casey (17 points) did all they could to keep the Rebels within striking distance. The Rebels even got a little more short-handed when junior Levi O’Brien took a nasty fall soaring toward the basket for a rebound late in the second quarter.
O’Brien, who was just coming off an injury, returned to the bench in the second half but didn’t return to the game.
It was the eighth time this season Chatfield has held an opponent under 50 points. The Chargers an 8-0 in those games.
“At the beginning of the season we knew we were going to win games with our defense,” Jones said. “Holding teams to a low point total, just like we did tonight.”
Chatfield will look to stay neck-and-neck with Ralston Valley (11-6, 2-0) in the conference standing next week. The Chargers and Mustangs are the only two remaining undefeated teams in the conference.
“It’s going to be a battle between these top four or five 5A Jeffco teams,” Buehler said. “On any given night anybody can beat anybody on the road or at home. It’s just so tight with a lot of evenly matched teams.
The Chargers are at home against rival Dakota Ridge (Wednesday) and Bear Creek (Friday) next week. Columbine faces Pomona and Lakewood next week.