DENVER — It was the battle of the two best 4A team in Colorado high school basketball.
But it was the Lewis-Palmer Rangers would proved to be a little bit better than the Colt of Pueblo South.
Thanks to an early second half run, L-P was able to edge South in a 61-53 win. Eli Robinson led the Rangers with 19 points, while Cam Lowe chipped in a double-double with 15 points & 13 rebounds.
"Just a realization that we did it," explained Lowe. "We put down day one that we have a chance to make this happen and then I look at the clock 2.2 seconds left and I'm like 'oh my God,' we did it. We talked about it. We thought about it and then to see it actually happen and hits you like you're starstruck almost."
"I'm so proud of my team man," added Robinson, who will return to Lewis-Palmer next year as a senior to defend the title. "We work for this all season. It's really been a goal since day one. To finally win here and win the game against a really good Pueblo South team, I'm at the top of the world right now."
The Colts' Maurcie Austin led all scores with 25 points as he tried to lead South to their first state title in 21 years. Head coach Shannon Lane was also trying to become the first female coach to win a boy's state basketball state championship.
"I'm more sad just to lose them as a whole," said Lane, with tears in her eyes. "I just wanted these boys to feel a win here. It would've been great to take home a state title, but I'm still proud of them and so is Pueblo."
It is the second state title for Lewis-Palmer in the last four years and the 5th in school history.
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