GOLDEN — Like a gator lurking in muddy water waiting to strike, Standley Lake’s boys basketball team has quietly racked up an impressive regular season.
The Gators claimed their 7th straight victory Wednesday night with a wire-to-wire road victory over Golden. Standley Lake took a 52-39 victory to wrap up second place in the Class 5A/4A Jeffco League behind 3-time defending conference champion Dakota Ridge.
“That loss hurt us because one of our goals we defintely to win league,” Standley Lake senior Derrek Sims said of the 65-48 loss to Dakota Ridge early in league play. “We had to bounce back and prove that we are still contenders.”
Standley Lake (17-5, 8-1 in league) did more than just bounce back. This will go down as the most successful regular season in the Gators’ boys basketball program history.
“It is a very good team that we have,” said Standley Lake coach Tyson Schrecengost, who is also a Standley Lake alum. “It is a special group that has been working hard. These seniors have built it over the past four years.”
The 17th victory of the season broke the old record of 16 wins in a season for Standley Lake’s boys basketball program. The previous record was set during the 2011-12 season when the Gators went 16-9. A handful of Schrecengost’s current coaching staff — Jake Lewis, Jerred Warren and Tyler Pyle — were members of that 16-win team from over a decade ago.
Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools
Schrecengost said him and his staff had no problem with the current Gators passing up the 2011-12 squad.
Standley Lake got off to a quick start against Golden (13-10, 5-4). The Gators opened up a 9-0 lead in the opening minutes.
“Our goal is to always put our foot on their throats and get it going in the beginning of the game,” Sims said. “We had the momentum and the energy in those first four minutes.”
Sims actually outscored the entire Golden squad in the first half. Sims had 16 points at halftime as Standley Lake held a 31-15 lead at the break.
“At the beginning of the game my shot felt hot,” Sims said after pouring in a game-high 22 points. “I felt like I was rolling. My teammates were rolling too and getting the ball to me. It felt perfect.”
The Demons did go on a little roll of its own in the second half. Golden got close to cutting the Gators’ lead to single-digits, but a string of four straight 3-pointers allowed Standley Lake to pull away late in the third quarter. Senior Carson Dowis and sophomore Titus Schrecengost both a pair from long distance to give the Gators a 47-31 lead heading to the final quarter.
“Hat off to Golden. They never make it easy. (Golden coach Lou Vullo) does a fantastic job,” Coach Schrecengost said of the Demons’ run early in the third quarter. “As they were making their run those four shots came us huge to extend our lead.”
Standley Lake’s 6-foot-8 sophomore Asher Serlen had missed practices due to having the flu this week, but had seven points off the bench in limited minutes. He did give the Gators fans a scare when he went down after going knee-to-knee with a Golden player in the third quarter. Serlen left the game, but returned after suffering likely just a bruised knee.
The Gators close out the regular season at home against Englewood at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21. The 40-team 5A state tournament bracket will be released on Sunday, Feb. 23. Standley Lake was No. 9 in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index after the win Wednesday.
“It is a good way to cap it for league and then get that extra game for Senior Night at home,” Schrecengost said of finishing up the regular season against Englewood. “I’m sure The Swamp will be doing what it needs to do. I think we’ve done well enough to get a home playoff game as well which was one of our goals as well.”
Golden was sitting at No. 30 in the index after the third straight loss. The Demons had a tough finishing to league play facing Dakota Ridge, Green Mountain and Standley Lake over the last nine days.
The Demons would still host a first-round playoff game on Tuesday, Feb. 25, if it stays at or above the No. 32 seed.
Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Public Schools
