RJ Perry made just one 3-pointer Feb. 15, but it might have been the dagger in the chase for the Centennial League boys basketball title.
The Cherokee Trail senior drained four triples two nights earlier to help the Cougars rally past Cherry Creek, but only one of his four tries fell in the showdown between league leaders at Eaglecrest.
It was a huge shot, however, as Perry’s lone 3-pointer with 16.4 seconds left in the second overtime gave Cherokee Trail the lead for good in a 65-62 double-overtime victory over the Raptors.
Senior Drick Bernstine had 29 points to lead the Cougars, who gained a split in the season series with Eaglecrest and took sole possession of the Centennial League.
Evan White chipped in 11 points and Anthony Murray added nine for Cherokee Trail (14-7, 10-2), which has a one-game lead over the Raptors and Grandview with two games remaining to play.
• The Aurora Central boys basketball team wrapped up the EMAC title and the league’s No. 1 seed with a 81-37 home win over Gateway on Feb. 20.
Carlton Hurst scored 25 points for the Trojans, while 18 came from Leonard Hurst — both big parts of the program’s Senior Night celebration — and 15 from freshman LaDarius Thomas in the victory.
Aurora Central (17-6) finished 8-1 in EMAC play, the same record as Rangeview (18-4), but hold the tiebreaker thanks to a head-to-head win.
• In 5A Region 1 wrestling at Smoky Hill High School, Eaglecrest and Regis Jesuit each had a regional champion, six total placers and tied for seventh place in the team standings with 102 points.
Senior Mike Howshar won the heavyweight title for Eaglecrest, while junior Grant Neal claimed the 195-pound crown for Regis Jesuit. Junior Dexter Bess, Smoky Hill’s only state qualifier, lost in the 220-pound final to Legacy star Skyler McWee.
Joining Howshar at state from Eaglecrest are third-place finishers sophomore Jake Dugan at 132 pounds and 170-pound senior Adin Puris, along with junior Trevon Beauford, the fourth-place finisher at 182 pounds. Neal also has three state-b0und teammates in senior Josh Redman (120) and freshman Nick Elgin (220) — who were both third — along with fourth-place 126-pound sophomore Donovan Ronan, who won a wrestleback.
Rangeview had three placers, but none made state, while Smoky Hill 120-pounder Dan Kasberg took fourth.
• In 5A Region 2 wrestling at Doherty, Grandview had a regional champion in freshman 113-pounder Xavier Cardenas and a runner-up in freshman heavyweight Josh Vigil-Harrison, plus came away with four state spots in a sixth-place team finish.
Junior Jaime Cardenas (132) and senior Jordan Brown (160) placed third and earned their way to the Pepsi Center.
• Cherokee Trail was fourth at 5A Region 3, where the Cougars had six wrestlers qualify for state, including regional champions Harley Korte (152 pounds) and Diego Rogel (170).
• Overland senior 220-pounder Amer Tipura won the only title among Aurora teams at 5A Region 4 at Standley Lake, helping the Trailblazers to an 8th-place finish, just ahead of Gateway and Hinkley.
The Olys had five placers and three state qualifiers, the same as Overland. Hinkley had four placers and Aurora Central two, but none made state.
• Three of Vista PEAK’s five wrestlers placed at the 4A Region 4 tournament at Montrose, but only junior 106-pounder Junior Casillas made it through to state.
• Regis Jesuit topped Cherry Creek 3-1 Feb. 15 in the lone meeting of ice hockey teams featuring Aurora players. Conner Wigton scored twice for the Raiders, who outshot the Bruins 40-13.
• ThunderRidge threw a wrench into the Regis Jesuit girls basketball team’s plans to win the Continental League championship outright, as the visiting Grizzlies beat the Raiders 57-53 Feb. 15.
Justine Hall and Diani Akigbogun had 16 points each and Jordyn Molyneaux had 11 for the Raiders, who are in a three-way tie with ThunderRidge and Highlands Ranch for first in the league standings.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555