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Riverton • After losing 59-58 last week to Juan Diego, the Riverton boys basketball team had hopes they might get another chance at the Soaring Eagle in the 14-school holiday event the two schools hosted.
The Silverwolves got that opportunity and made the most of it by taking a 58-48 overtime victory over Juan Diego on Wednesday night to win the Riverton Holiday Tournament.
"This is what they [the Riverton players] were talking about after they beat us," said first-year Riverton coach Skyler Wilson, whose team improved to 7-3 on the season. "We knew the format. … If we took care of business, we might get them again. They are a really good team. I think our region is the best in the state, and they were 4-0 against our region before tonight. … Our guys were pumped for this. I'm glad it worked for us."
Juan Diego, playing in its second overtime in two nights, expanded a massive amount of energy to come from a 32-19 deficit in the third quarter to force overtime.
The Soaring Eagle's frantic press harassed Riverton into a number of mistakes in the final quarter.
Star Juan Diego guard Gabe Colosimo hit a heavily guarded 3-pointer with 8.2 seconds left to force overtime.
"He wasn't supposed to get the 3-pointer to send it into overtime," Wilson with a smile. "When you are working with teenage boys, you can't always control everything. You just have to embrace the chaos. We make mistakes, and a lot of them. But we are always bouncing back. That shows character and tremendous confidence we could finish in overtime."
Colosimo, who finished with a game-high 25 points and ranks among the state's best players this season, converted a three-point play seven seconds into overtime.
Those would be Juan Diego's last points, as the Soaring Eagle missed three baskets close to the hoop and four 3-pointers while Riverton went to work.
After a pair of free throws by Riverton's Joey Andrews, who hit buzzer-beating baskets to end the first and second quarters, the Silverwolves took control behind tournament MVP Jeff Arens.
Arens missed one 3-pointer but grabbed his own rebound and put it in. He followed that with a 3-pointer to give Riverton a 52-48 lead.
"They didn't box me out," said Arens, who finished with 17. "So I ran around them. The ball just landed it in my lap. So I got it and put it back up. You've just got to keep on shooting. Shooting is the key."
At that point, Juan Diego was forced to foul and Riverton hit six of eight to put the game away.
Andrews finished with 11, points as did Jaron Jones.
With league play starting soon, Arens knew this was a big win.
"It is really big," he said. "It shows a lot of improvement with our team and our defense."
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Riverton 58, Juan Diego 48, OT
R Star Soaring Eagle guard Gabe Colosimo forces overtime by hitting a 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds to go. He finishes with 25 points.
• Jeff Arens leads Riverton with 17 points, while Joey Andrews and Jaron Jones score 11.
• Arens is the Riverton Holiday Tournament MVP.