DENVER — Corey Seng had a career night in helping ThunderRidge take down top-ranked George Washington.
The senior, who entered the game averaging 22.5 points per contest, dropped 32 points as the No. 3 Grizzlies rallied for a 71-61 victory in a top-5 Class 5A matchup. The 32 points were a career high.
“We battled back from being behind, and it just felt great,” Seng said after the game. “Our will to win there at the end was just incredible.”
Seng has scored in double digits in each of ThunderRidge’s 12 games this season, and surpassed 20 points eight times. He evenly spread his scoring throughout the night, notching seven in both the first and second quarters, eight in the third, and 10 in the fourth.
“I’ve learned to pace myself over the years, to keep it up the whole game,” said Seng, whose scoring average ranks him in the top-5 in 5A. “That’s really helped me, especially this year.”
ThunderRidge trailed 34-27 at halftime, but quickly tied the game in the third quarter.
With 4:43 to play, George Washington star Jervay Green hit a 3-pointer to give his team the lead back at 39-37. But Seng answered on the next trip down the court with a 3 of his own to put ThunderRidge back up 40-39.
The Grizzlies wouldn’t relent from there, going up 49-42 after a third quarter in which they outscored George Washington 22-8.
“That was a big quarter,” said ThunderRidge coach Joe Ortiz.
At halftime, “We just talked about getting our shots,” Ortiz said. “They’re going to be aggressive, they’re going to take chances, and we had to be able to withstand that and move it and find open guys.”
Ortiz added that George Washington’s speed was something his team struggled with and needed to adjust to.
“What we have to figure out is how to guard that speed,” Ortiz said. “Oh my god. That first quarter, they were just — we took a standing eight-count. Man. They went after us. But I’m very pleased. We had a lot of heart, a lot of fight.”
Added Seng: “They are the quickest team in the state, by far, and it was really hard to adjust to that early on.”
But ThunderRidge did adjust, wearing the Patriots down by getting to the basket — and the free-throw line. Juniors Justin McCaw (13 points) and Kaison Hammonds (12 points) were a big part of that.
As a result, the Grizzlies improved to 11-1 this season, including a perfect 8-0 against in-state competition. ThunderRidge’s lone loss game to Godby (Fla.) at the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas just prior to break.
George Washington also entered the game unbeaten against in-state foes at 7-0, and also had suffered its only loss to an out-of-state foe — Utah’s Lone Peak — at the Tarkanian Classic.
The Patriots (10-2) are loaded with talent, and were led by Green’s 16 points despite the fact that the senior injured a finger on his right hand in the first minute of the game. (Green appeared to reaggravate the injury midway through the fourth quarter.)
Junior Tre Pierce was also a force on both ends for George Washington, blocking three shots, and changing many others. He finished with 12 points.
Calvin Fuggett Jr. added 11 points for George, and his brother Jon’il had nine.
That ThunderRidge won this big matchup on the road was not lost on the Grizzlies.
“This is a tough situation to be in,” Ortiz said. “All these games help. Everything gives you confidence.”
“Being able to adjust to a new atmosphere, and new hoops, will help us in the playoffs,” Seng added.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Rampart trailed late and knocked down some 3-pointers to cut it close, but Colorado Springs Christian edged the Rams 49-47 on Friday.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Freshman Josephine Howery scored the bulk of her team-high 19 points from the spot where Lamar’s entire team struggled on the night: the free throw line.
She spent the majority of the game attacking the basket, and while she only scored two field goals on the night, she was happy to up her scoring total one point at a time.
“I felt like I had to get my points going to the basket,” Howery said. “I knew if I kept driving to the basket, good things would happen.”
Apparently, even if it meant the ball not going in on her shots.
The field goals came from her teammates, and they came in bunches. The Pirates (6-0 overall, 1-0 Tri-Peaks) made 17 baskets against a defensively strong Lamar team, including six 3-pointers. Sophomore Mary Cummings accounted for half of those baskets from behind the arc.
The Savages (6-1, 1-1) came into the game surrendering only 29.5 points per game. But ball movement and good shooting gave St. Mary’s a 38-21 lead at halftime.
“They did something strategic, they put (Cali Clark) out in front and it took down the ball movement that we’re used to,” Pirates coach Mike Burkett said. “We’ve been working at this and working at this.”
It’s not hard to pick Clark out on the floor as she towers over most players. Lamar coach Erik Melgoza played her on the front line of his zone defense in the first half, hoping to disrupt the efficient St. Mary’s ball movement.
The Pirates were still able to score and if anyone’s offense was disrupted during the game, it was Lamar’s.
The Savages struggled to shoot ball in the first half and were only able to net seven points through the second quarter.
Even when they attacked the basket and successfully got to the free throw line, the results rarely turned out well.
Lamar finished the night 7-25 from the free throw line. Missing 18 fouls shots in a 13-point loss is something that can certainly haunt a coach during a three-hour bus ride home.
“There’s nothing free about a free throw, I guess,” Melgoza said.
At the end of the night, even if suffering a loss is never ideal, there are things that can be learned from Friday’s result.
Melgoza had noticed things that his players needed to improve on, but the results were turning out favorably so there was never a real need to focus on them. Friday’s loss could be the spark the Savages need to make some adjustments and show that they are still at top team not just in the Tri-Peaks League, but in all of 3A.
“I’ve been saying some things (to the girls) that we haven’t been doing well,” he said. “I don’t know if there’s ever a good loss. Nobody likes to lose, but this is a game that can wake them up. This is a team that will bounce back.”
The Pirates will now focus on building their momentum. They still have a non-league game against Pueblo East, but still have to run the gauntlet of the Tri-Peaks.
“I’m really proud of our team for this win,” Howery said. “I just hope that we can keep going like this for the rest of the season.”
Sophomore Fran Belibi dunked in Regis Jesuit’s win over Grand Junction on Friday night. It is believed to be the first time a girl has dunked in a Colorado high school basketball game.
