THORNTON | With two matchups in a four-day span with Class 6A No. 1 Rangeview late in the regular season, the Vista PEAK Prep boys basketball team was tuned up for the postseason.
With their game heightened, the Bison far exceeded the station they were given in the 40-team 6A postseason field — No. 39 — Tuesday night with a dominating 69-46 road win over 26th-seeded Legacy in a play-in contest.
Coach Jordan Carter’s Vista PEAK Prep team got 20 points from junior Marquilos Mata, 17 more from senior Mitch Oliver and 13 from senior Devontay Bursey en route to its 10th win of the season and a spot among the 32 teams in the 6A state tournament. The Bison moved into a first round game Feb. 28 at No. 7 ThunderRidge (18-5).
Vista PEAK Prep got off to a hot start with four of its 12 3-pointers in the game in the opening quarter to take a double-digit lead, then really found the range in the second. Mata made two triples in each of the first two periods and the Bison connected on five for the period to boost the lead to 18 points at halftime.
Despite shooting just four free throws in the game, Vista PEAK Prep closed it out with help of six points from Bursey in the third quarter, while Oliver had nine in the final period as the Bison won going away.
Vista PEAK Prep has now won at least one game in its last three trips to the postseason.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
2025 CLASS 6A BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT (PLAY-IN)
(39) VISTA PEAK PREP 69, (26) LEGACY 46
Score by quarters:
Vista PEAK Prep 16 23 11 19 — 69
Legacy 6 15 9 16 — 46
VISTA PEAK PREP (69)
Mitch Oliver 7 0-0 17, Marquilos Mata 7 0-0 20, Larry Mosley 3 0-0 6, Devontay Bursey 6 0-0 13, Isaiah Guevera-Ennis 3 0-2 6, Julian Williams 1 0-0 3, Noah Adkins 1 1-2 4. Totals 28 1-4 69.
3-point field goals — Vista PEAK Prep (12): Marquilos Mata 6, Mitch Oliver 3, Noah Adkins, Devontay Bursey, Julian Williams. Total fouls — Vista PEAK Prep 14. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
