Last year at the Great 8, Grandview lost on a last-second tip-in to Rock Canyon that had the Wolves hungry entering this winter.
So on Saturday, coach Michael Rogers’ crew erased the bitter taste of 2017, this time outlasting a different Continental League foe in Chaparral 59-53 to advance into the Class 5A Final Four for the first time since 2006.
The Wolverines burst out to a 7-0 lead midway through the first as Grandview struggled to adjust its shooting in the cavernous Denver Coliseum. But then it was Chaparral’s turn to go cold, as they stumbled to a 7-4 lead to close the sloppy frame.
Both offenses settled in during the second quarter and Chaparral took a 22-20 advantage into the locker room.
The tempo continued to pick up after the break, as Wolverines sophomore point guard Kobe Sanders and Grandview junior forward Dayne Prim led surges on each end of the floor.
Meanwhile, Wolves senior forward Ben Boone picked up his fourth foul halfway through the third, while Chaparral junior big man Bryce Matthews also found himself sidelined by foul trouble much of the second half.
With Boone on the bench, sophomore center Caleb McGill stepped up as Grandview took a 42-37 lead into the final quarter. But the battle-tested Wolverines weren’t going away quietly, especially after Prim had to be pulled after piling up his fourth personal early in the fourth.
The Wolves remained on top throughout the fourth, though, slowing down their offense and using a multi-possession lead as a buffer.
Grandview also executed just well enough at the free throw line to cement the win, including five crucial makes from junior guard Levi Dombro in the final minutes.
Chaparral had a chance to tie it up on its final possession, but senior guard Joe Dalton’s corner three was off the mark, and Grandview ran the fast break on the rebound en route to a Prim dunk to seal the victory.
Grandview (22-4) takes on No. 2 ThunderRidge (25-1) in the Final Four on Friday back at the Coliseum, while the Wolverine finish 21-5.