Doherty boys advance to 5A quarterfinals

DENVER • Tyler Velasquez scored 29 points, and Matt Oesterle and Dylan Sisneros combined for 15 fourth-quarter points as the Spartans rallied to knock off No. 2 Lincoln 83-74 Tuesday night in the round of 16 of the Class 5A state tournament.

The third-seeded Spartans trailed 67-62 with 4:15 to play. But a 14-7 run, keyed by six consecutive points by Oesterle and a go-ahead basket from Velasquez, put the Spartans ahead 76-74 with 1:06 to play. They never trailed again.

“I said we’ve got to regain our composure,” Spartans coach Dan McKiernan said. “We’ve got to get back and get in their faces and play hard.”

The final run to put the Spartans (16-9) ahead was one of many runs in a game that was exciting as they come.

The seesaw battle saw the Spartans up by as many as 14 late in the second quarter behind Velasquez’s 12-point quarter. But the Lancers (19-6) went on a 13-0 run that spanned the second and third quarters to claim their first lead since the end of the first.

The Spartans built another nine-point lead before the Lancers reeled them in, taking a 52-49 lead late in the third.

The lead changed hands two more times before two free throws from Lincoln’s Dominic Williams, who led all scorers with 35 points, put the Lancers up 67-62.

“It was one of those up-and-down games where momentum swung back and forth,” said Velasquez, who also grabbed nine rebounds. “We know we can handle pressure and finish out games real well.”

The Spartans went 17-for-20 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to help with the comeback. Mark Jones scored 12 points and dished out five assists and Sisneros finished with 16 points. Oesterle had 13 points and seven rebounds.

“I always have a good fourth quarter because I feel like I’m better conditioned than a lot of guys,” Oesterle said. “That fourth quarter I needed to play the hardest I could and the best I could.”

Doherty gets 5A Metro League rival and top-seeded Rampart (23-2) in the quarterfinals. The Rams defeated the Spartans both times they met.

“I think they’re our biggest rival now,” Oesterle said. “To beat us three times in a row is not going to be easy.”