Prep Hoops 10 Best: Rock Canyon vs. Grandview, 5A Great Eight
The 5A state quarterfinals could not have had a more heart-pounding start Saturday.
With an ending that even made the rounds on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Rock Canyon scored four points in the final five seconds to stun Grandview and earn a berth in the Final Four for the first time in school history.
The Jaguars sprinted to a huge lead, weathered a comeback and then made immensely clutch plays down the stretch to earn the victory.
Let’s dive right into the heart-pounding action:
MVP: Rock Canyon grit
If ever there were a game that deserved a team MVP award, it was this one. The Jaguars don’t zoom to a 17-2 lead without contributions from everywhere in the lineup. They don’t overcome what could have been two back-breaking 3-pointers in the closing minutes by Grandview’s Ben Boone without the fortitude to keep playing. And they don’t score the final two buckets without nearly everyone touching the ball and everyone being aware enough to stay calm in the final frantic push. As a result, they are moving on to the Final Four, one game away from playing for a championship.
Offensive Player of the Game: Tyson Gilbert, Rock Canyon
In addition to facilitating strong ball movement, the 6-2 junior point guard led the Jags with 14 points. He hit 4-of-5 3-pointers, two to help open a lead in the first half and two in the second half to blunt big runs by Grandview. Gilbert showed great composure throughout, another highlight in a stellar junior season.
Defensive Player of the Game: Sam Masten, Rock Canyon
There was the steal, of course. After Colin Rardin made a tough runner to tie the game at 40-all with only five seconds left, Masten hid himself behind Grandview point guard LeChaun Duhart and then jumped the inbounds pass. He wasn’t able to connect on the layup, but a tip-in by Nick Janedis off Masten’s miss gave the Jags the thrilling win. But that was far from Masten’s only defensive contribution. He played solid defense on Duhart all day long, holding Grandview’s top scorer (18.1 points per game) to seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.
Play of the Game: Rardin/Masten/Janedis
If you’ve somehow been living under a rock and missed the crazy final sequence, here you go:
Helping my guy @KyleNewmanDP call 5A state quarterfinals. What an ending for @Canyon_Hoops to earn a Final Four bid: pic.twitter.com/nuwg7ETQpI
— Nick Kosmider (@NickKosmider) March 4, 2017
Under-The-Radar Performance: Kain Mack, Grandview
The Wolves were staring at a big deficit, down 17-2 early. Then Mack came to life. The 5-9 senior guard knocked down three 3-pointers to help completely swing the tide. Mack was also strong on the defensive end, pushing his pressure away from the basket to frustrate Rock Canyon’s guards in the second half.
Under-The-Radar Performance, II: Colin Rardin, Rock Canyon
His two 3-pointers were part of the big early run, but there was no shot bigger than the game-tying effort in the closing seconds, a contested runner that he seemed to will into the bucket. All the 6-4 unsigned senior guard has done all season long for Rock Canyon is make winning plays. He’s the ultimate glue guy for a team, and the Jags would not be playing in their first Final Four without him.
Under-The-Radar Performance, III: Joe Bryson, Rock Canyon
The state line — two rebounds, zero points — doesn’t say much, but the 6-8 Bryson did a strong job defending Grandview’s star 6-7 forward Gaige Prim. Prim entered the game averaging 17 points and was held to nine points on 4-of-7 shooting. Prim began to establish himself in the second half, displaying solid fundamental footwork, but the early job by Bryson in denying Prim touches was a big factor in the Jaguars surging to the big early lead.
Clutch Moment: Ben Boone, Grandview
The talented 6-4 junior had struggled to find opportunities for much of the game. But with Grandview trailing by two points with less than 90 seconds left, Boone caught a pass at the top of the key, several feet behind the 3-point line, and let it rip. He buried the shot to put the Wolves up by one point. After Sam Masten scored a tough layup on the other end to put the Jags back in front 38-37, Boone stepped up again. LeChaun Duhart collapsed the defense with his penetration and kicked to Boone, he set himself from his spot in the corner and splashed home another go-ahead 3-pointer with 19.5 seconds left. He would have been the hero if not for the theatrics that Rock Canyon produced on the next possession.
Game-Swinging Play: Jordan Knapke, Grandview
Rock Canyon led 31-26 and was playing for the last shot of the third quarter with a chance to extend the lead to seven or eight points. Instead, Knapke jumped a crossing pass near midcourt and coasted the other way for a layup. It swung momentum in Grandview’s favor, and they took their first lead of the game early in the fourth quarter from there. That play helped the game become a true dog fight until the last buzzer.
The Story Going Forward: Can Rock Canyon Make More History?
First, a tip of the hat to Grandview on a great season. Michael Rogers’ experienced crew put it all together and came oh-so-close to tasting the Final Four. Our thought is that schools who take a chance on the point guard Duhart or the forward Prim won’t regret it.
Now, can Rock Canyon make a bit more history in what has been a truly memorable season? In order to do so, the Jags will have to get by top-seeded Eaglecrest, which ran past Denver East on Saturday to earn a berth in its third straight Final Four. Rock Canyon beat Eaglecrest 60-55 way back on Dec. 6. But this is a new game and a chance to play for the ultimate prize awaits. Rock Canyon and Eaglecrest tip it off at 8:30 p.m. Friday.