5A gets bragging rights for a year after All-Star hoops games

Class 5A claimed bragging rights around the city by sweeping the 4A-5A Metro League Basketball Classic Tuesday at Doherty.

Both the girls’ and boys’ games were close throughout the first half before the 5A squads broke them open in the third quarter. The 5A girls won 57-46 in the opener and the boys pulled away for an 85-58 victory.

Click here to see photos from both games.

The 4A girls actually led 28-25 at halftime, but went cold in the third quarter as Fountain–Fort Carson senior D’Shara Strange and Doherty freshman Angela Vigil heated up, finishing with 11 points each.

Vigil missed her first five shots, but looked for teammates more when she returned to the court and found her stroke in the second quarter. Strange made several steals throughout and found open teammates under the basket on several occasions.

“Everybody in 5A has talent,” Strange said. “When you’re playing against them, all you want to do is kick their butt. But when you’re playing with them it’s a pretty nice experience.”

Midway through the third quarter Strange stole a pass on the right sideline and beat Mesa Ridge junior Kaitlyn Mileto for a layup, cutting the 4A lead to one. Palmer sophomore Taylor Torres hit a 3-pointer a minute later to push 5A ahead by one.

The 3-pointer by Torres, who finished with nine, was the midpoint of a 13-0 run by 5A, which never looked back.

“It felt good because last year we lost,” Torres said. “It gets competitive … even though it should be all fun and games.”

Mesa Ridge seniors Leanndra Gilbert led 4A with 12 points.

“You never want to go down losing but you can’t be down on yourself considering it’s the best players from the other league also,” Mileto said.

The boys’ game was an up-tempo, high-flying affair, with a few players throwing down dunks and several others missing on entertaining attempts.

Doherty senior Tyler Velasquez hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter to help lift 5A to a 33-30 halftime lead.

But his teammates for a night combined for six 3-pointers in the second half, five in 27-17 third quarter, including two each from Rampart teammates Devon Grant and Alex Koehler.

As the lead widened in the fourth quarter the mood changed from competitive to fun.  Liberty senior Wes McKenzie scored 17 of his game high 19 in the second half.  In the final minute he got three (uncontested) attempts to put down the first dunk of his high school career, succeeding on the last just before the buzzer sounded. 

Harrison junior Xavier Ford led 4A with 15 points. Rampart’s Lance Evans scored 16 for 5A.