Columbine boys basketball stuns Dakota Ridge in thriller

LITTLETON — Columbine boys basketball got a signature victory Friday night.

“We did what we came to do,” Columbine’s first-year head coach Kevin Chester said.

The Rebels defeated south-Jeffco rival Dakota Ridge in a 64-63 thriller on the Eagles’ home court. The victory allowed Columbine (2-1 record) to already match its win total from last year’s 2-21 record.

“Great win. Every excited. Very happy,” Columbine junior Cash Boykin said after dropping 27 points in the victory. “We played a great game as a team. Awesome win.”

Cash Boykin and his freshman brother — Dyson Boykin — was the one-two punch the Rebels used to knock out Dakota Ridge (4-3). The Boykin brothers combined for 49 points in the victory.

“Dyson is a special player and did a lot for us,” Chester said of the younger Boykin brother scoring a dozen points in the first half to really keep the Rebels from facing a larger than the 10-point halftime deficit. “He handles the ball so well and shoots the ball really well. I trusted him.”

Dakota Ridge held a 37-27 lead at halftime thanks to senior Ethan Berninger catching fire in the second quarter. The reigning 5A/4A Jeffco League MVP scored 20 points in the second quarter to erase the Rebels’ 5-point lead they held after the first quarter.

Berninger finished with 39 points.

“We tried to throw some things at him (Berninger) to try to slow him down,” Chester said of the game-plan against Berninger. “We went into a zone because we saw some things on film, but he got hot. When he gets hot there is nothing you can do to stop him.”

Berninger had 10 points in the third quarter as the Eagles held a 52-43 lead going into the final eight minutes.

“I just go out and try to play the best I can,” Berninger said after scoring his career-high 39 points. “I really don’t focus on the other team’s game plan.”

Columbine’s plan in the final quarter was allow Cash Boykin to take his turn to take the game over. Cash scored 16 points in the final quarter.

“My brother and I work very hard. We are going to show our abilities,” Cash Boykin said after the remarkable performance from the Boykin brothers. “But this is really a team win. We won as a team.”

Berninger nearly had the last laugh. Columbine freshman Jeremiah Shortis went to the free-throw line with .8 seconds left on the clock and the Rebels’ holding a 64-63 lead. Shortis missed both free throws. The second miss bounced on the floor to allow Berninger to get a running start before grabbing the ball and heaving to the other end of the court for a possible game-winning shot.

“It felt good,” Berninger said of his last-second shot from the free-throw line at the other end of the court.

The ball just missed its mark hitting off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

“I was very nervous,” Cash Boykin said his thoughts on Berninger’s last-second heave that nearly went in to spoil the Rebels’ upset. “I was praying it wouldn’t go in. I was very, very happy it didn’t go in.”

Columbine has home games next week against Littleton (Dec. 17) and Colorado Academy (Dec. 19) before heading into Winter Break.

“This is a game that meant a lot to me because I respect Sean (Dakota Ridge coach Sean Kovar) so much,” Chester said. “It’s a rivalry game with them right down the street. I told the players that I take this game personally because I don’t want to lose to any of the neighboring schools.”

It was the third loss of the season for Dakota Ridge, but first against an in-state program. The Eagles played four games in Texas going 2-2 against out-of-state teams the previous week.

“I’d go to war with them any day of the week and I love them,” Kovar said when asked what he told his team after the tough loss. “I was proud of our effort. Columbine played awesome tonight. They beat us.”

Dakota Ridge has one of the most anticipated non-league games between Jeffco teams before Winter Break. Ralston Valley (4-0) travels to the Eagles’ home court for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday, Dec. 17.

“We are super excited. It will be another opportunity for us to get better,” Kovar said of facing Ralston Valley next week. “I’m so excited to have them here and watch us compete.”

Ralston Valley is one of the favorites to contend for not only the 6A Jeffco League title, but be in the mix for the 6A state title. The Mustangs are led by senior Tanner Braketa, who has signed to continue his basketball career at the University of Northern Colorado.