Mesa Ridge’s Tevin Riehl hits game-winner to push Grizzlies past Palmer 60-58
Mesa Ridge had 4.5 seconds to work with in a tied game against perhaps the best competition they’ll find in the city.
This was not the time to overthink things, and the Grizzlies did not. They got the ball to Tevin Riehl and he delivered the game-winning, off-balanced floater for a 60-58 home victory over Palmer.
“Isn’t great coaching just getting the ball to your best player and getting out of the way?” Mesa Ridge coach Joel Babbitt said. “He literally said to me, ‘Give me the ball.’”
Playing in a playoff-type atmosphere, two of the top teams in the Pikes Peak region delivered a game worthy of their stature. The contest saw six lead changes in the fourth quarter before the game’s final thrilling sequence.
“I knew I wanted the ball,” Riehl said. “I knew I was going to get a bucket.”
The first three quarters were heavy on runs. Palmer outplayed the Grizzlies in the first half and led by as many as 12 before Mesa Ridge went on a 9-0 run in the third quarter to take its first lead since the opening minutes.
Then, in the fourth quarter, neither team could pull away.
Mesa Ridge’s Tanner Widic hit a go-ahead 3 with two minutes left before Palmer answered with a tying basket. The Grizzlies got possession back with a minute left and the score tied.
Mesa Ridge milked the clock. With about 10 seconds remaining, Zander Iwanski finally drove and attempted a layup, which Palmer’s Ayden Yunker blocked.
When the ball went out of bounds, there were 4.5 seconds remaining — which proved to be enough time.
The plan for the defending state champions was simple: Get Riehl the ball.
The Grizzlies did just that, and Riehl caught a pass in the corner. Riehl took a few dribbles, and found the best look he could get.
The shot was contested and not a clear look, but the result was a swish.
Between Mesa Ridge’s home fans and a large crop of Palmer supporters, it was rarely quiet. The home crowd particularly roared in the third quarter when the Grizzlies took their lead, and the energy that provided was crucial to their winning effort.
“It was everything,” said Bryce Riehl, Tevin’s younger brother who is a junior. “It created the whole game after that. The gym was shaking.”
Tevin Riehl led Mesa Ridge with 22 points. Bryce Riehl and Widic each had 14 points, as those three combined for 50 of the Grizzlies’ 60 points.
It was the seventh win in a row for Mesa Ridge (11-2). The Grizzlies won the 5A state title in 2023 and return several key players from that squad.
“I hope people realize that we’re trying to develop a program,” Babbitt said. “We hope that this becomes a program that does this.”
For the Terrors (13-2), J’Twane Mike had a team-high 19 points, while Walker Asp logged 15.
The Terrors are just one win shy of their 2023 win total.
“I think Palmer’s the team to beat,” Babbitt said. “They’re incredible; they’re a scary team. It would be nice to see both of us at the end.”
For anyone who didn’t get to watch Friday’s spectacle, don’t worry — the squads meet again on Feb. 16 for both teams’ regular-season finales.
“That’s going to be our best competition,” Tevin Riehl said. “We’re going to have to go play them again, so it’s going to be a tough one.”
Mesa Ridge Tevin Riehl (11) takes a shot against Palmer High School in the first half at Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, CO. on Friday January 19, 2024. (Laura Domingue/ Special to the Gazette)
Mesa Ridge Tanner Widic (13) takes a shot against Palmer Ayden Yunker (2) in the first half at Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, CO. on Friday January 19, 2024. (Laura Domingue/ Special to the Gazette)
Mesa Ridge Jaxon Auger (5) catches a rebound against Palmer High School in the first half at Mesa Ridge High School in Colorado Springs, CO. on Friday January 19, 2024. (Laura Domingue/ Special to the Gazette)