Nail-biters finally nailed the Yuma High School boys basketball team.
The Outlaws’ stay in the Class 3A State Tournament came to an abrupt end on a long-range 3-pointer at the buzzer, losing to Centauri 41-40 in the quarterfinals last Thursday in Hamilton Gym on the University of Denver campus.
They finished the season with a 20-6 record.
“This group had a great year,” coach Dave Sheffield said. “There were incredible highs, as well as lows. This group was very resilient through the process, and made it back to the Great 8. The Patriot League was a tremendous league, and this group did a great job navigating it. Other than the Resurrection game, we were in everything, and won most of them. This team developed as the year progressed, and improved in all phases of the game. They were a very dynamic and fun group to coach, and once again pushed everything. We didn’t get where we did last year, but this was an incredible year. Hitting the 20-win mark and going 20-6 overall is a season to be celebrated! I will miss this group.”
Yuma has quite a recent history in one-point games. The Outlaws won three straight games by one point each to claim the 3A title last season in Hamilton Gym. They lost by one to University late in the regular season on a three-quarter court 3-pointer at the buzzer. They then rallied for a one-point win over Liberty Common two weeks ago in the Sweet 16.
“Not much to say on long buzzer beaters,” Sheffield said. “It is sports. It is great when you are on the positive side of those situations, and very tough on the other side.”
Centauri, which Yuma beat by one point last season in the quarterfinals, proceeded to lose its last two games by a combined 35 points, to Resurrection Christian in the semifinals and to Windsor Charter Academy in the third-place game. Resurrection Christian beat Strasburg for the 3A title one year after winning the 4A crown.
(Resurrection Christian also won the girls title, led by leading-scorer Olivia Klein, the daughter of YHS graduates Nathan and Krisi (McPherson) Klein, and a relative to numerous people in Yuma.)
Yuma and Centauri engaged in a defensive battle for the second straight season in the quarterfinals, last Thursday in the last of the 3A girls and boys quarterfinals. Tipoff was scheduled for 8:30 p.m., but the game did not start until about 9:15.
Neither team led by more than five at any point in the game.
Yuma trailed 14-13 at the end of the first quarter. The Outlaws briefly took the lead in the second, but trailed 24-22 at halftime.
They opened up a bit of a lead in the third quarter, but the teams were tied at 32 entering the fourth.
Yuma regained the lead, but ended up tied again at 38. The Outlaws took a 40-38 lead and had a chance to ice the game at the charity stripe. However, they missed five of their last six free throws, including their last four, the last two misses coming with five seconds left.
After a Centauri timeout, Yuma fouled on purpose, leaving two seconds to go. The Falcons still were able to get off a 3-pointer from the top that went through the net as the buzzer sounded, sending the Outlaws off the court in disbelief.
“We knew going in that it was going to be a grind with Centauri,” Sheffield said. “We put ourselves in a good position and had a lot of opportunities, but they just hit theirs in the end.”
Yuma shot 58 percent at the free-throw line this season. The misses finally caught up to the Outlaws in the quarterfinal. They also missed several layups, and other fairly-open 2-pointers at the rim.
The Outlaws shot 33.3 percent for the game, but so did Centauri. However, uncharacteristically, the Outlaws shot just 32.4 percent on 2-pointers. Both teams made a total of 16 field goals. The Outlaws made four of nine at the charity stripe, the misses coming in the fourth, while Centauri went five-for-five.
Yuma had 12 steals to only three for the Falcons, but could not turn it into many transition points.
Brody Sheffield made four 3-pointers, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds and three steals, while Alex Pensado had seven points and two steals, Jonathan Thomson four points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, Silas Baucke four points, three rebounds and three steals, Iann Duran four points and three rebounds, and Reyli Trejo two points.
The game ended the high school hoops careers of seniors Jonathan Thomson and Silas Baucke, but everybody else returns in 2025-26 in what should be another fun season for the Outlaws.