Prep Hoops 10 Best: Ralston Valley vs. Lakewood
Ralston Valley entered Friday’s road game at Lakewood starting to round into shape and aiming to get over .500. “We are so much more competitive than our record shows,” 6-2 senior forward Jerrod Parker would say. That record is now…
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Continue ReadingRalston Valley entered Friday’s road game at Lakewood starting to round into shape and aiming to get over .500.
“We are so much more competitive than our record shows,” 6-2 senior forward Jerrod Parker would say.
That record is now 9-8 after the Mustangs stunned the Tigers 62-59 on Friday night in a JeffCo League showdown that came down to the final possession.
Lakewood, which was knocking on the door of our top 10, dropped to 12-4 and two games back in the JeffCo race behind Chatfield. Lakewood and Chatfield will meet for the second time this season Wednesday.
Here’s a closer look at how Ralston Valley, which had lost to Lakewood by 18 points three weeks ago, pulled the upset Friday:
MVP: Jerrod Parker, Ralston Valley
The senior played with tremendous heart throughout the game. After a strong in the opening minutes of the first quarter, Parker suffered a shoulder injury and missed about six minutes of floor time. But he returned to score nine points in the second quarter with nine points that gave the Mustangs a 32-27 halftime lead. Parker finished with 18 points overall, including the game-winning layup — and subsequent free throw — with only 4.6 seconds left. The undersized forward displayed impressive toughness throughout the game.
Offensive Player of the Game: Jacob Storey, Lakewood
The 6-7 senior finished with a team-high 16 points and was dominant in stretches. He was able to take his defender off the dribble, run the floor in transition and get to the line. Foul trouble limited Storey in the third quarter and prevented him from taking over in the second half, but he showed a lot of the tools that have made him one of the most improved players in his class this season.
Defensive Player of the Game: Trey Conrad, Ralston Valley
The senior captain helped slow the strong perimeter shooting of Lakewood with strong pressure beyond the 3-point line. He kept his hands in passing lanes and was a disruptive presence. He also rebounded well and led Ralston Valley’s overwhelming advantage in securing 50-50 balls all night.
Play of the Game: Parker
Ralston Valley, with the game tied at 59-all, had possession under its own basket with 17 seconds left. The Mustangs got a good look under the basket directly off the inbounds pass but missed a layup. Yet Ralston Valley secured the offensive rebound, the ball swung to Travis Torline and he dropped a perfect bounce pass to Parker on the baseline. Parker immediately attacked the glass and got the ball in the hoop just before two Lakewood defenders could close in. Parker then calmly drained the free throw to give the Mustangs their winning edge.
Best Bounceback: Kolton Peterson, Lakewood
The Colorado Mesa-bound guard is one of the best shooters in the state. Battling a painful foot injury, Peterson couldn’t get his shot to fall through much of the game. But toward the end of the third quarter, he took over anyway. He attacked the basket, scored twice off crafty backcourt cuts and got to the line. After getting his rhythm that way, Peterson then knocked down to huge jump shots that tied the game late, including a contested mid-range jumper with 30 seconds left that tied the game at 59. Peterson showed a lot of the toughness in the way he battled.
Best Quote
“Sometimes I wish I could pass to Kolton. He’s a hell of a player,” Ralston Valley’s Jerrod Parker on Kolton Peterson. The two have played club basketball together with the Shining Stars.
Best Bench Performance: Mike VanderWerff, Ralston Valley
The 6-5 senior averages 3.8 points per game, but he came up with seven huge points Friday. He hit back-to-back jump shots in the second quarter, including a 3-pointer from the wing that helped the Mustangs hold off an early Lakewood charge.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Trey Sayers, Ralston Valley
The 6-1 senior guard did a little bit of everything Friday. He hit a huge 3-pointer in the fourth quarter that helped stop a big Lakewood run. He was strong defensively, got to loose balls and cut without the ball. He essentially did all the little things that helped add up to a winning effort.
The Story Going Forward For Ralston Valley: Where will this confidence lead?
The Mustangs had a heck of a week with two nail-biting victories over rivals Arvada West and Lakewood. With games this week against Bear Creek and Pomona, two teams below them in the JeffCo Standings, Ralston Valley has a good chance to move to 11-8. This team is undersized and doesn’t have a one-on-one playmaker, but if they continue to compete and gain confidence as they showed Friday, the Mustangs could make a bit of noise when the 48-team 5A state tournament begins at the end of February.
The Story Going Forward For Lakewood: Can the Tigers rebound?
Lakewood won’t have much time to lick its wounds with a rematch against JeffCo leader Chatfield coming up Wednesday. The last time the Tigers lost — to Chatfield on Jan. 7 — they responded with six straight wins, including a 90-77 victory over Denver East. Can the Tigers have a similar response to a tough loss this time around?