DENVER – Jonas Miller scored 17 points, Devin Vandermeer added 16 as Lewis-Palmer dominated top-seeded Palisade 63-46 in the Great 8 of the Class 5A Boys Basketball tournament at the Denver Coliseum on Saturday.
The No. 8 Rangers (18-8) used their size advantage to throw off the Cinderella Bulldogs’ offense. The Rangers held a 19-4 lead after the first quarter, thanks to a blistering 17-0 run, and a 34-13 at halftime. No. 1 Palisade (23-3) was in the Great 8 for the first time in 26 years.
“Our offense is sparked because of our defensive energy, and these guys really do buy that. They buy into that, they believe that,” said Lewis-Palmer Coach Bill Benton. “They know we’re going to get some easy (fast-breaks) even when we have to take it out of the net.”
Lewis-Palmer, wearing black uniforms, was a black hole down low defensively. Palisade, sporting their Peach City alternates, tried to make it work at the basket but rarely found any daylight. Palisade found about just as much success when stretching the floor.
Palisade shot 18 of 42 from the floor and hit only six of their 16 3-pointers — most of those deep shots came late in the game. Lewis-Palmer was 25 of 55 shooting and 10 of 27 from deep. Six Rangers hit a 3-pointer.
Palisade opened the second half on an 11-2 run, which brought a comeback back into the realm of possibility. Lewis-Palmer quickly extinguished those hopes with a 15-5 run.
“I was proud of how we played the second half,” said Palisade Coach John Sidanyczl. He later added: “We actually thought the way came out there, we cut it to 14 and thought if we could get a stop maybe we make it a different (game). But they just shoot the ball so well.”
Lewis-Palmer had a plus-11 advantage on the glass and its bench outscored Palisade 24-5. Hunter Howard led Palisade with nine points.
Lewis Palmer plays No. 13 Silver Creek (22-4) on Thursday.
