BOULDER - The rematch was no contest.

Denver East beat Doherty 72-51 in the semifinals of the Class 5A boys basketball state tournament at the Coors Events Center on Thursday night. It was a far different outcome than Doherty's lopsided 81-66 victory against Denver East in the first game this season.

The Angels took control in the second quarter, forcing eight Doherty turnovers. Donell Wells scored nine points to help Denver East take a 36-23 halftime lead.

In the second half, the Angels cruised. They nearly doubled Doherty's score, 56-30, by the end of the third quarter. With most of the starters sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter, Denver East waltzed into the 5A championship game Saturday.

Wells made a big difference for the Angels in the rematch. The senior scored only five points the first time the teams played.

Wells had that total in the opening minutes this time. He finished with 24 points, including four three-pointers. Twice he stole the ball from a Doherty guard and sprinted down the court for an easy layup.

"The last time we played, it was the first game of the season," Wells said. "We were forcing stuff, and I wasn't feeling it."

Wells said the Angels also knew how to handle Doherty's notorious 1-3-1 defense. Denver East picked the defense apart, and the Spartans switched to man-to- man for most of the second half.

"We just needed to take a look at it and take a different angle," Wells said. "We broke it down pretty good."

Doherty led 16-11 at the end of the first quarter. But Denver East outscored the Spartans 20-12 in the second, and in the third quarter, Mookey Gilbert dominated the glass against the taller Spartans.

Three times in the third quarter he scored on an offensive rebound. The third time, he added a free throw after getting fouled with 2:27 remaining to give Denver East a 53-28 lead.

"We knew they would come out and play hard again, but when East gets the mentality that we are going to win, we're going to win," said Gilbert, who finished with 17 points.

Doherty's shooters couldn't find their rhythm. James Webb, who hit 56 three-pointers and nine in a row in a game last week, went only 1-for-9 on his three- point attempts.

V.J. Holmes led the Spartans with 13 points, but 6-foot-9 Garrett Fiddler scored only 11. Fiddler had 22 the first time the teams played.

"When you play championship basketball, your margin of error is nothing," Doherty coach Dan McKier-nan said. "East just played harder and put good pressure on us."

Denver East......16	20	20	16	-	72
Doherty......11	12	7	21	-	51

DE - Jamiko Verner 2 0-0 4, Blake Swain 4 4-4 12, Donell Wells 10 0-0 24, DaVaughn Thornton 3 3-5 9, Mookey Gilbert 7 3-3 17, Jordan Martinez-Doublin 2 2-4 6. Totals 28 12-16 72.

D - Bryse Velasquez 4 0-0 11, James Webb 1 0-0 3, V.J. Holmes 6 1-2 13, Garrett Fiddler 5 1-4 11, Travis Moritz 2 1-2 5, Jeremy Carlston 1 0-1 2, Jon Davis 1 0-0 2, David Thomas 1 2-2 4. Totals 21 5-11 51.

Three-point goals - DE, Wells 4; D, Velasquez 3, Webb.

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