LOVELAND - Denver East brought its brand of showtime to the Budweiser Events Center, and the Angels didn't disappoint.

Behind superior guard play and clutch free-throw shooting, the second-seeded Angels outlasted Eaglecrest 70-57 in a Class 5A third-round state tournament game Thursday.

In a game played at a break- neck pace, the Angels (21-3) were great early and played solidly through the second and third quarters before closing with authority.

Much of the contest was played above the rim, with both teams fiercely battling for rebounds and with several highlight-reel quality dunks put down on both ends of the court.

The best came early in the fourth quarter when Angels senior Jordan Martinez-Doublin blew by a defender outside the three-point arc and headed down the center of the lane before throwing down a beautiful one-handed slam.

"Coach (Rudy) Carey told me I was quicker than (the defender) and to go right past him," said Martinez-Doublin, who finished with a team-high 14 points. "They gave me the lane, and nobody stepped up."

While that might have been the highlight, the stars of the game were Angels guards Jermiko Verner, Blake Swain and Donnel Wells.

Denver East made seven steals in the first five minutes and finished with 15. The Angels committed nine turnovers.

"I knew our guards would be the difference," Carey said. "Their big men and our bigs would neutralize each other, but our guards are probably as good as there are in the state."

Eaglecrest (16-9) outrebounded Denver East 37-26 and scored several second-chance baskets. Forwards Gage Wooten (14 points, 14 rebounds) and Josh Henry (16, 12) kept the Raptors in it until late in the fourth.

Eaglecrest......15	9	15	18	-	57
Denver East......16	11	19	24	-	70

E - Jordan Cobb 1 2-3 4, Allen Noble 0 3-5 3, Myron Sanders 1 0-0 2, Pat Williams 2 0-0 5, Justin McIlvain 1 0-0 3, Gage Wooten 6 2-4 14, Josh Henry 7 1-2 16, Arden Dennis 5 0-0 10. Totals 23 8-14 57.

DE - Jermiko Verner 2 6-7 10, Quentin Hildreth 0 0-4 0, Troy Weise 0 5-6 5, Jordan Martinez-Doublin 7 0-0 14, Blake Swain 3 5-6 13, Donnel Wells 3 2-4 8, Devaughn Thornton 2 1-1 5, Mookie Gilbert 4 5-6 13, O'Brian Brooks 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 24-34 70.

Three-point goals - EC, Williams, McIlvain, Henry; DE, Swain 2. Fouled out - Wells, Noble, Sanders.

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