Lutheran wins in OT to advance to Final Four

Lions survive thanks to Speckman’s big shots late

BY ALEX K.W. SCHULTZ SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

With time running out on the Lutheran boys basketball team’s season, Kade Speckman corralled the ball, spun and banked it home — twice — to keep the Lions’ year and state-championship hopes alive.

e two clutch shots by the freshman came on back-to-back possessions in the closing moments of regulation to force overtime against Alamosa in the Great 8 round of the Class 4A state playo s March 3 at the Denver Coliseum.

en, in the extra period, Braydon Jacob splashed a momentum-seizing 3-pointer and the Lions came up with some big stops down the stretch to win 65-56 over the Mean Moose.

Lutheran, the No. 6 seed in the 32-team bracket, will now face second-seeded Resurrection Christian in a Final Four game March 9 at the Coliseum. Resurrection toppled e Classical Academy 68-44 in another of the Great 8 games to advance.

“It happened to be our day,” said Lutheran coach Bill Brandsma, who shepherded the Lions to the Class 3A state crown in 2021 and a state runnerup nish in 2018. “Every run I’ve been a part of has been comprised of a bit of luck, needing to execute and a whole lot of adversity. And so far, we’re making it work.”

Against No. 3 Alamosa, adversity struck for the Lions late in the fourth quarter, when their three-point lead midway through the period turned into a four-point de cit with 55 seconds left.

Out of a timeout, the Lions got the ball to the 6-foot-8 Speckman, who whirled and kissed it o the glass and in to narrow Alamosa’s lead to 50-48 with 45 ticks remaining.