Prep Hoops 10 Best: Mead at Holy Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC2_fugpz78 BROOMFIELD — It is often said that the mettle of a championship team is tested when its back is pushed against the wall. With the way it responded late Tuesday, it’s no wonder Holy Family has captured its first…
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BROOMFIELD — It is often said that the mettle of a championship team is tested when its back is pushed against the wall.
With the way it responded late Tuesday, it’s no wonder Holy Family has captured its first Tri-Valley League title since 2014.
After struggling to find offensive rhythm much of the night and falling behind by as many as seven points in the second half, the Tigers rallied to beat Mead 54-43 and win the league title.
The Tigers scored 26 points through the first three quarters and were tied with the Mavericks entering the final period. Then Holy Family exploded for 28 points in the fourth quarter to pull away.
Here’s a closer look at how the Tigers got it done:
MVP: Tanner Baird, Holy Family
The 6-1 sophomore guard scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Tigers pull away. He found success by moving without the basketball and putting himself in position to catch and finish. He also nailed a couple of jumpers and went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in the final eight minutes. The Mavericks simply didn’t have an answer for the young guard who is proving himself to be among the best players in the 2019 class.
“He was super,” Holy Family coach Pete Villeco said of Baird. “He played with the poise of an upperclassman. He knocked down big free throws. He’s a confident young man and he showed that.”
Best Offensive Performance: Baird
Holy Family began the fourth quarter with a game-defining 13-2 run, and Baird was responsible for eight of those points. He buried a nice mid-range jumper, nailed a pair of free throws after being fouled on a drive, then cut for two pretty layups. Scoring wasn’t the only thing that attributed to Baird’s strong offensive performance, though. He also had several big offensive rebounds that proved crucial in a game where easy offense was hard to come by.
Best Defensive Performance: Michael Zeman, Holy Family
The 5-10 senior guard gives up some size, but he doesn’t want for toughness. Zeman applied strong pressure to the Mavericks backcourt and was a key factor in Holy Family holding the Tri-Valley League’s leading scorer — Mead’s Michael Ward — to only two points and no field goals in the first half.
Play of the Game: Tanner Price, Holy Family
With time winding down in the third quarter, Holy Family’s 5-11 senior guard Tanner Price stole a pass near midcourt and sprinted to the basket and finished as several Mead defenders quickly closed in. The rare transition layup tied the score at 26-all, and Holy Family would never trail again.
Breakaway layup by Tanner Price helps @HF_Basketball tie @meadbball at 26-all after the third quarter. pic.twitter.com/tIUuqdBiyK
— Prep Hoops Colorado (@PrepHoopsCO) February 15, 2017
Best Under-The-Radar Performance: Price
Price saved one of his best games of the season for Senior Night. The big layup at the end of the third quarter was part of a season-high seven points for the reserve guard. Price got the start for senior night and played well to open the game. He nailed a 3-pointer and applied tight defensive pressure. He also had a tough layup in the third quarter that helped the Tigers climb out of a seven-point hole. Price also came up with a couple big loose balls in the second half that helped turn the tide.
Best Under-The-Radar Performance, Part II: Derek Edwards, Mead
The 6-2 sophomore played with good energy, scoring seven points during a grind-it-out first half to help give the Mavericks a 16-14 lead at halftime. Edwards knocked down a 3-pointer and showed that he could finish strong through contact during his early bout of scoring.
Best Grinder: Michael Ward, Mead
Though he was held without a basket in the first half, Ward kept churning away. The 6-2 guard, who is one of the top available senior guards in the state, finished with a team-high 17 points, including seven in the fourth period. He got a steal and buried a 3-pointer with less than two minutes left to cut the lead to 50-41. Ward rarely came out of the game and faced constant defensive pressure, but he kept finding ways to score. He’ll give Mead a chance in the postseason with how hard he plays.
“We tried to make him work for everything,” Holy Family coach Pete Villeco said of Ward. “He’s a heck of a player.”
Best Intangibles: Joe Golter, Holy Family
The senior point guard, who will play football at Colorado Mines next season, is the perfect player to lead you through a slugfest, which is exactly what Tuesday’s game was. Golter didn’t have his offensive game perfectly in rhythm, but he managed to make plays when the Tigers needed them most. His 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter gave Holy Family its first lead since the first quarter and opened the floodgates.
Best Impersonation of a Quarterback: Kyle Helbig, Holy Family
Maybe he got it from his older brother, former Holy Family QB Chris Helbig. Kyle threw a gorgeous baseball pass from underneath his own basket that hit Joe Golter in stride all the way at the other basket. Golter, a standout receiver, caught the pass in stride and finished the layup as a young fan in the crowd hollered “Touchdown!” Helbig, the 6-3 sophomore, rebounded from a rocky first half to make a few key plays during his team’s big fourth-quarter push.
Quote of the Game: Baird, on winning the 4A Tri-Valley League
“It’s fun. We’re not really thinking too much about it. We’re looking forward to the next game and what the playoffs have in store.”