DENVER — “I’m kind of used to it now,” said Zach Keller, holding the state championship trophy for the second year in a row. His ThunderRidge Grizzlies defeated Fossil Ridge 58-49 in the 5A boys basketball state championship on Saturday night. 
 
Fossil Ridge got off to a quick start in the first half by going on a 15-2 run in the first 3:53 and led 17-11 at the end of the first half.  
 
The Sabercats momentum was halted as the second half began as the Grizzlies opened the half with a 12-0 run of their own to gain their first lead of the game with 4:33 to go in the third. 
 
From there it would be all Grizzlies as they held onto the lead for the rest of the game. 
 
“We’ve been times a couple of games during the playoffs,” Keller said. “We work hard and play as a team.” 
 
Keller and the Grizzlies could start to feel it when he had an emphatic dunk in the second half. “I didn’t get a dunk in the East game, so it felt really good to get a dunk in this game,” Keller said. 
 
The Grizzlies became the first team to win back-to-back state championships since Overland in 2015 and 2016. 

📓 by benjamin.parris56

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