Doherty and Fountain-Fort Carson’s basketball game Wednesday was everything a rivalry should be. 

A back-and-forth contest with hard drives to the basket, hustle plays in transition, big 3-pointers, animated coaches, and even the occasional tense moments where players had to be separated. Wednesday’s was the kind of game that stings to lose and is euphoric to win. The host Spartans felt the latter with a 63-58 victory. 

“This rivalry has been a real good one for a while now, and it built up to everything it should be,” Doherty coach Mark Jones said. “You got kids competing, coaches coaching hard, the fans are doing a great job of cheering for their students. It’s great, it’s a great atmosphere. A good playoff game right before playoffs.”

Doherty (11-9) entered the fourth quarter up 49-39, but the double-digit margin did nothing to quell Fountain-Fort Carson’s (12-10) hunger to beat its rival. The Trojans’ comeback bid came largely off the efforts of sophomore leading scorer Jordan Ulmer who knocked down a 3-pointer in the opening moments of the quarter and scored nine of Fountain-Fort Carson’s 19 points in the quarter. 

The visitors cut the Spartans’ lead down to as few as three points in the final frame but every time the Trojans would get close, Doherty would cut their momentum with a timely score from one of many seniors in Sean Smith, Gavin Gilbert and Javar Harrison. 

Mental and physical toughness in critical moments has been a focus for Jones, the alumnus who is in his first season at the helm of the boys’ program after spending previous seasons as the girls’ coach.  

“Since I took over the job in June, that’s all we ever talked about, what we want Doherty basketball (to be). When people come watch Doherty basketball, we want them to see that we play hard and that we’re tough as heck,” he said. 

The Spartans trailed 15-13 after the first quarter, but turned the tables on Fountain-Fort Carson with a 7-1 scoring run to end the second. Doherty traded 3-pointers with the Trojans with Smith connecting from deep twice and Harrison knocking down a third shot from beyond the arc to counter a trio of 3s from Fountain-Fort Carson’s Ulmer, junior Torian Carr, and sophomore Bryson Williams. 

Doherty senior Jamikel Sisneros hit a buzzer-beater off a steal to end the first half and give the hosts a 33-29 advantage into the break. The Spartans maintained their momentum in the second half, outscoring the Trojans 16-10 in the third quarter. 

While Ulmer, Williams and Carr were clearly the top options for the visitors, Doherty spread the ball around as it has done this season. Gilbert, Smith and Harrison are the team’s top-three scorers with just two points separating first from third. Gilbert leads with an average of 11.1 points. 

“Sean is easily one of the best players in the conference and he comes off the bench for us. He does a lot, he’s a microwave. He can fill it up real quick. If we’re up six, it can turn into we can be up 15, if we’re down six, all of a sudden, we can be up eight now,” Jones said. “Javar he’s come a long way in these last couple of years into his spot. Really taken on a leadership role for us.“

Smith finished with 17 points Wednesday, Gilbert added 13 and Harrison scored nine. In addition to that trio, senior Acai Biglow scored seven, and junior Syron Odie finished with 15.  

With the win, Doherty kept pace with Liberty in the Colorado Springs Metro League. The Spartans are a game behind the first-place Lancers in conference. The teams will meet in a massive game Friday.