5A Sweet 16 standouts in defeat

<p>There were some tough losses in the Sweet 16 with a couple of games that came down to the wire and others where the final quarter decided the game. Not hitting enough shots or coming up with enough big plays ended up being the difference in the game and why teams seasons came to an end. But we are not about sad endings, we are about uplifting, with that being said, here are a few players that stood out in defeat.  </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: impact, sans-serif;">[player_tooltip player_id="770414" first="Boston" last="Stanton"] – Denver East</span></p> <p>Stanton was one of the few bright spots for Denver East in their 62-58 defeat against the Regis Raiders. Regis gave the Angels multiple looks and played stout man to man defense for the entire game, which many did not see coming. East struggled to score points at times, but when East needed a bucket, they went to their standout junior [player_tooltip player_id="770414" first="Boston" last="Stanton"]. Stanton made a few runs of his own before being looked off a few times for a couple of baskets to keep East in the game. He finished with 23 points in the game as he hit four FT’s but also grabbed six rebounds and helped out in different ways. He went out with a fight and is now getting ready for a huge summer, where he will get plenty of college attention. An excellent year for the junior.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="770341" first="Caleb" last="Rillos"] – Ralston Valley  </span></p> <p>Rillos finished with 22 points as he went out swinging. He made sure that he was going to be the player that Ralston Valley went through as they did all season long. He stepped out and hit some 3-pointers, grabbed 11 rebounds, and also had two steals, but the Patriot defense bottled Valor Christian in. He will go on to play football at the next level, but he had a stellar career on the hardwood. Good luck to him in the future as he was an ultimate competitor.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Quentin Rock – Smoky Hill</span></p> <p>Rock got off to a hot start to give Smoky Hill the lead in a back and forth affair in which Chaparral gave him different looks, and he adapted to all of them. Rock finished with 23 points in the game as he shot the ball well, hit three 3-pointers in the game, hit all four FT’s that he took in the game, and showed off his high IQ. Lots of times, Rock knows where he wants to get it, but his teammates are not on that level mentally yet, which caused a couple of turnovers. He made up for them with big plays, and what stood out in the game was his willingness to defend. He stepped up to the challenge and came up with a couple of steals, pushed the pace and kept Smoky Hill in the game. Rock had an incredible Smoky Hill career and played the way that he played every single game – with heart and determination.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="916959" first="Jordan" last="Whitaker"] – Smoky Hill</span></p> <p>The player that stood out in the game and is who the Buffaloes elected to run the offense through late in the game was [player_tooltip player_id="916959" first="Jordan" last="Whitaker"]. Whitaker came off of the bench and impacted the game immediately, which had him play for the rest of the game. Whitaker finished with 19 points as a reserve hitting two 3-pointers but did most of his work inside. He attacked in the PnR, created for himself in ISO situations, and also finished well around the rim. It was an up and down season for the junior, so it was a positive for him to head into very important summer with some confidence.  </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">[player_tooltip player_id="770449" first="Drake" last="Arthur"] – Boulder</span></p> <p>Boulder’s season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion. Boulder fell 53-52 against the frontrunner for the 5A player of the year as he dominated in the fourth quarter, and while the Panthers had a balanced game themselves, the player that stood out was junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="770449" first="Drake" last="Arthur"]. Arthur was efficient on the night finishing with 13 points on 4-5 shooting from the field. He drilled both 3-pointers he took, got fouled, and finished around the rim. Arthur also recorded three assists and three rebounds. He made sure that his presence was felt as he did everything in his power to get himself going and try and win the game for Boulder.</p>