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As expected, there will be an all-Patriot League championship game in Colorado Class 3A boys basketball.
However, it will be not be the Northern Colorado-only affair that many anticipated.
No. 3 Strasburg rallied from a brief double-digit deficit to knock off No. 2 Windsor Charter Academy on Friday afternoon in the 3A Final 4 at DU's Hamilton gym in Denver.
It was a topsy-turvy game right from the opening tip.
Strasburg stormed out of the gates on a 10-0 run, and led by eight after the first quarter.
But the Firebirds stormed right back thanks to some dominant defense, holding the lower seed to just five second-quarter points to open up a 26-20 halftime edge.
WCA then extended the lead to 34-23 out of halftime before the game totally flipped again.
Cade Hemphill, Brody Hopwood and Tyce Bollers drained 3-pointers in quick succession, helping erase the deficit in less than three minutes.
While WCA was in it until the final moments, Starsburg's swarming defense limited the Firebirds to just seven points in the fourth quarter. It tied the first quarter for WCA's worst offensive output in any quarter this season.
Hopwood and Nick Glatfelter hit some key late free throws, with the latter scoring a game-high 19 points. WCA's Kellen Ball kept the higher seed afloat at times, also tallying 19 points on several 3-pointers.
Windsor Charter certainly entered as the favorite, beating Strasburg 77-55 back in January behind a prolific offense that averaged nearly 70 points per game.
However, the Firebirds' firepower was extinguished in the semifinals. WCA (24-3) never scored less than 59 points in a win this season, but averaged 44 in losses to No. 1 Resurrection Christian and now Strasburg.
This was Windsor Charter's second Final 4 run in the program's first three seasons as a CHSAA-sanctioned team, following a semifinal run in 2023.
There's plenty of promise with leading scorers Andrew Schams and Dayton Long back, plus major contributors like Frankie Jones and Isaiah Cronk. However, the Firebirds will have to replace program staple Kellen Ball (WCA's all-time leading scorer after hitting 1,000 points this year) along with Dom Pepin, Donovan Fields and Drew Hay.
For now, it's Strasburg vs. Resurrection Christian (Saturday, 12 p.m.) in an all-Patriot League final, hardly a shock since the conference dominated Colorado 3A boys basketball this season.
The league had six of the top 13 seeds, including five of the eight teams who qualified for quarterfinals. Strasburg knocked out WCA after taking down conference mate No. 6 Highland in the Great 8. No. 4 Yuma also fell by one point to No. 5 Centauri.
The Cougars are going for back-to-back boys basketball titles after winning the 4A crown last season. The Res. Christian girls could make it a school state-title sweep against No. 3 Denver Christian in the 3A girls final.
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado 3A basketball Final 4: Strasburg stuns No. 2 Windsor Charter Academy
Continue reading...
However, it will be not be the Northern Colorado-only affair that many anticipated.
No. 3 Strasburg rallied from a brief double-digit deficit to knock off No. 2 Windsor Charter Academy on Friday afternoon in the 3A Final 4 at DU's Hamilton gym in Denver.
It was a topsy-turvy game right from the opening tip.
Strasburg stormed out of the gates on a 10-0 run, and led by eight after the first quarter.
But the Firebirds stormed right back thanks to some dominant defense, holding the lower seed to just five second-quarter points to open up a 26-20 halftime edge.
WCA then extended the lead to 34-23 out of halftime before the game totally flipped again.
Cade Hemphill, Brody Hopwood and Tyce Bollers drained 3-pointers in quick succession, helping erase the deficit in less than three minutes.
While WCA was in it until the final moments, Starsburg's swarming defense limited the Firebirds to just seven points in the fourth quarter. It tied the first quarter for WCA's worst offensive output in any quarter this season.
Hopwood and Nick Glatfelter hit some key late free throws, with the latter scoring a game-high 19 points. WCA's Kellen Ball kept the higher seed afloat at times, also tallying 19 points on several 3-pointers.
Windsor Charter certainly entered as the favorite, beating Strasburg 77-55 back in January behind a prolific offense that averaged nearly 70 points per game.
However, the Firebirds' firepower was extinguished in the semifinals. WCA (24-3) never scored less than 59 points in a win this season, but averaged 44 in losses to No. 1 Resurrection Christian and now Strasburg.
This was Windsor Charter's second Final 4 run in the program's first three seasons as a CHSAA-sanctioned team, following a semifinal run in 2023.
There's plenty of promise with leading scorers Andrew Schams and Dayton Long back, plus major contributors like Frankie Jones and Isaiah Cronk. However, the Firebirds will have to replace program staple Kellen Ball (WCA's all-time leading scorer after hitting 1,000 points this year) along with Dom Pepin, Donovan Fields and Drew Hay.
For now, it's Strasburg vs. Resurrection Christian (Saturday, 12 p.m.) in an all-Patriot League final, hardly a shock since the conference dominated Colorado 3A boys basketball this season.
The league had six of the top 13 seeds, including five of the eight teams who qualified for quarterfinals. Strasburg knocked out WCA after taking down conference mate No. 6 Highland in the Great 8. No. 4 Yuma also fell by one point to No. 5 Centauri.
The Cougars are going for back-to-back boys basketball titles after winning the 4A crown last season. The Res. Christian girls could make it a school state-title sweep against No. 3 Denver Christian in the 3A girls final.
Chris Abshire covers high school and community sports for the Coloradoan.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Colorado 3A basketball Final 4: Strasburg stuns No. 2 Windsor Charter Academy
Continue reading...
