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DURANGO TOURNEY: Lutomski gives Skyhawks lift

David Lutomski was on vacation when his Silverado teammates won their first three games in the National Invitational tournament at Durango.

The Skyhawks’ junior forward made up for lost time Monday.

Fresh from an almost two-week hiatus, Lutomski came up with a pair of clutch rebounds, a stick-back basket and a blocked shot in a
25-second span late in the fourth quarter to help the Skyhawks hold off Canyon Springs 67-65 in the tournament’s championship game.

“I just always try to go to the boards,” Lutomski said. “I try to give the team whatever they need. It just worked out for me. I got some loose balls and some rebounds.”

A 6-foot-6-inch reserve post player, Lutomski didn’t enter the game until the second quarter, but finished with eight points and eight rebounds, and his biggest plays came in the final 80 seconds of the game.

With Silverado holding a 55-52 lead, Lutomski rebounded a missed Canyon Springs free throw and started his team up the floor in transition with an outlet pass.

He followed the play and hit a rebound basket with 1:09 left, then sprinted back down the floor to block a shot just six seconds later. That play eventually led to a pair of  free throws and a Silverado 59-52 lead.

The Skyhawks led 67-60 with four seconds left before a 3-pointer by Chris Willis and a pair of free throws by Terence Stanley after an offensive foul by Silverado on the inbounds play brought the Pioneers to within two, but the Skyhawks ran out the clock.

“I just knew it was our turn,” Silverado coach Ron Childress said. “We’re still knocking on the door. We’re not where we want to be, but I think people around town know when you play us, you have to come to play.”

Lutomski hadn’t played since Dec. 16. Silverado’s scheduled game against Del Sol on Dec. 18 was postponed due to snow, and Lutomski was on a family vacation in Wisconsin when the tournament started. He returned Saturday night.

“He’s a baseball player primarily, but he can be a good basketball player,” Childress said of Lutomski. “He rebounds for us more than anyone on the team. He knows his role.”

James Lata led the Skyhawks with 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting, and Wade Collie added 21 points and eight rebounds. Tournament Most Valuable Player Ali Sabra scored 10.

Willis led the Pioneers with 17 points. Jeremy Alexander scored 14, Michael Thompson added 13 and Stanley had 11.

In other games in the tournament:
Spring Valley 54, Durango 53 — Jesse Chippoletti made the winning free throws with 1:11 to play and finished with 30 points as the Grizzlies won third place.

Chippoletti’s free throws gave Spring Valley a 54-53 lead. After that, the teams combined for two missed shots from the field, four missed free throws and two turnovers.

Corey Clement added 11 points for Spring Valley.

Dario Jokic led Durango with 15 points, and Devin Matthews had 10.

Mojave 41, Canyon Country (Calif.) 38 — Anthony Marshall’s two free throws with 1:41 remaining gave Mojave a three-point lead, and the Rattlers held Canyon Country scoreless thereafter.

Marshall finished with 16 points. Brandon Perry scored 16 for the Cowboys.

Cheyenne 71, Chaparral 52 — Demetric Williams scored 12 of his 19 points in the second quarter, helping Cheyenne take a 33-17 halftime lead.

Jaylen Henry added 11 points, and Chris McCall and Xavian Johnson had 10 each for the Desert Shields.

Robert Porter and Jerome Young scored 12 apiece for Chaparral.

Rancho 59, Roosevelt (Calif.) 43 — Rancho took a 33-16 halftime lead and coasted. Nine Rams scored at least two points.

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