AURORA | It took more than three quarters for Tuesday night’s Regis Jesuit-Mountain Vista boys basketball game to look like a clash of two top-five teams in the state, but it finished that way.
After struggling through two-plus quarters, the Raiders — ranked No. 5 in the Associated Press’ Class 5A media poll — finally heated up and caught up to the third-ranked Golden Eagles in the final minutes of regulation, only to see Jonathan Moore’s short jumper beat the buzzer for a 60-58 Mountain Vista victory.
Junior Bryan Staerkel scored 14 points, senior Devin Kadillak added 10 — including a layup that tied the game with 30 seconds left — and junior Taylor Kallsen finished with nine for coach Ken Shaw’s Regis Jesuit team, which dropped its second straight game and slipped to 13-3 overall and 2-2 in the Continental League.
Mountain Vista (15-1, 4-0) squandered a lead that reached as many as 17 points early in the third quarter, but got the winning basket with playmaker Jake Pemberton sitting on the bench after fouling out.
The Golden Eagles got their typical balanced effort, as Ray Benesford — who fed Moore for the game-winner — and Carson Simons scored 13 points apiece, Graham Smith added 10 and Brady Subart chipped in nine.
Coming off a loss at home to Chaparral, Shaw was at a loss to explain why the Raiders came out slowly against Mountain Vista, which attacked from the opening tip-off and fed off its boisterous crowd.
Regis Jesuit’s turnovers, cold shooting and not getting back on defense in transition helped the Golden Eagles take a 16-point lead into halftime as Subart’s 3-pointer beat the buzzer for a 36-20 edge.
Another Subart triple gave Mountain Vista its largest lead of the night at 42-25 early in the third, but the Raiders scored 19 points in the quarter — five from sophomore reserve Jared Small — to whittle their deficit to seven going into the final quarter.
Juniors Kip Boryla and Elijah Sanford and sophomore Geoff Kelly did big work on the offensive and defensive glass in the fourth quarter, helping Regis Jesuit edge back into the game slowly, but surely.
Trying to add to a 58-55 Mountain Vista lead, Benesford — who went just 3-for-8 from the free throw line, including 2-for-6 in the fourth quarter — missed two free throws and Staerkel made one on the other end to make it a two-point game with 2:23 left.
Neither team scored again the Raiders gained possession and tied the game on Kadillak’s slash to the basket.
Mountain Vista milked the clock down to 12.5 seconds before calling a time out. Without the threat of Pemberton on the floor, the Golden Eagles gave the ball to Beresford, who penetrated the middle of the Regis Jesuit defense and fed the ball to Moore, who feathered in his short jump shot from the baseline and sent the Mountain Vista crowd slipping on the floor after the buzzer.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. Facebook: Aurora Prep Sentinel
(3) MOUNTAIN VISTA 60, (5) REGIS JESUIT 58
Score by quarters:
Regis Jesuit 11 9 19 19 — 58
Mtn. Vista 17 19 10 14 — 60
REGIS JESUIT (58)
Taylor Kallsen 1 7-9 9, Zach Smith 1 0-0 3, Bryan Staerkel 5 3-4 14, Elijah Sanford 1 1-4 3, Kip Boryla 3 1-2 7, Devin Kadillak 3 3-4 10, Geoff Kelly 0 2-2 2, Cam Beards 1 1-2 3, Jared Small 3 1-2 7, Vaughn Samson 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 19-29 58.
MOUNTAIN VISTA (60)
Jake Pemberton 2 3-4 7, Carson Simon 5 3-4 13, Brady Subart 3 0-0 9, Graham Smith 3 4-4 10, Ray Beresford 5 3-8 13, Jonathan Moore 3 1-2 7, Cameron Challoner 0 1-2 1, Isaac Phillips 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 15-24 60.
3-point field goals — Regis Jesuit (3): Devin Kadillak, Zach Smith, Bryan Staerkel; Mountain Vista (3): Brady Subart 3; Total fouls — Regis Jesuit 21, Mountain Vista 18. Fouled out — Regis Jesuit: Kip Boryla; Mountain Vista: Jake Pemberton. Technical fouls — None.
