Centennial rallies past Durango

The Centennial boys basketball team needed to be nearly perfect in the second half Friday to overcome a double-digit deficit.

Troy Brown went one step further.

Brown didn't miss a shot after halftime and finished with 29 points as No. 2 Centennial pulled out a 76-73 victory over host Durango in a showdown between two of the Sunset Region's top teams.

Brown had 18 points in the final two quarters — the standout junior was 5-for-5 from the floor and made all seven of his free throws — for the Bulldogs (12-2), who trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half.

"For the kids to fight back, stay with it, not to get their heads down — the game could have been over," Centennial coach Todd Allen said. "It's a big win. We're still young, and to come in here and do that, I'm just really proud of the kids."

Jake Hutchings had 21 points, and Isaiah Banks added 16 points for Centennial, including a 40-footer that beat the halftime buzzer to cut the No. 4 Trailblazers' lead to 43-33.

Brown, who also had eight rebounds and five assists, carved up Durango's zone defense from the high post in the fourth quarter. His acrobatic finish around 6-foot-8-inch Jason Landman gave the Bulldogs a 70-65 lead, and his basket in traffic with 1:27 remaining put Centennial on top 72-67.

"I was just plaing to what my team needed," Brown said. "Just the big moment, I know when things get down to the clutch, I need to take the shots. That's one thing I've learned this year. In big moments, I have to be the man and take the responsibility on, especially as a captain of this team."

Landman, who led Durango (9-2) with 14 points, made a 3-pointer to cut the Bulldogs' lead to one point before Hutchings hit two free throws with 10.1 seconds left to put the Bulldogs on top 76-73. Landman's contested 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime rattled out.

Jeremie Portuondo, Zyare Ruffin and Chase Ruiz had 13 points apiece for the Trailblazers, who made 11 3-pointers and shot 53.3 percent from the floor. Durango's Michael Diggins notched 11 points and seven rebounds.

Ruiz had 10 points in the first half, and Durango went up 32-14 with 5:21 left in the second quarter after Ruffin finished off a fast break. But the Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit, and Banks hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 15-2 run that gave Centennial a 52-49 lead in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs made 14 of their 19 field goals in the second half.

"In practice we tell them, 'Be patient out of the zone,' and they did it during the game and saw the results," Allen said. "Just a great effort at a tough place to play. A lot of teams would fold, and they persevered."

Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ