Rock Canyon Knocks Off Smoky Hill To Advance To Sweet 16 Behind Lehman’s Historic Night

AURORA, CO — The No. 19 Rock Canyon Jaguars (13-11) walked into a packed gym at No. 14 Smoky Hill (13-11) on Friday night and left with an 81-67 victory, punching their ticket to the Sweet 16 of the Colorado State playoffs.

Senior guard Kasen Lehman led the charge, scoring 18 points and cementing his place in Rock Canyon history by becoming just the third player ever to reach 1,000 career points for the program. Sophomore guard Jacob David stole the spotlight offensively, pouring in a game-high 20 points to fuel the Jaguars’ balanced attack.

Underdogs No More

Rock Canyon entered the game with something to prove, embracing their lower seed and the road environment at Smoky Hill.

“We’ve been underdogs the whole season,” David said postgame. “We’re here now and we can beat anybody.”

That mindset powered the Jaguars from the opening tip, as they executed with confidence and poise in front of a hostile crowd.

Lehman’s milestone night added extra meaning to the win, as he joined exclusive company in Rock Canyon history.

“It was the third time in school history that someone hit a thousand,” Lehman said. “It feels great — coming in as underdogs, beating a good team. We’ll keep rolling, keep beating teams. We’re scary. We stay ready and we know we’ve got to grind for each win. We don’t expect anything to be given to us.”

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Balanced Attack Fuels Jaguars’ Victory

Along with David’s 20 and Lehman’s 18, junior guard Davis May provided key scoring punch, finishing with 15 points to round out a complete team effort. Rock Canyon’s offensive rhythm, combined with timely stops in the second half, allowed the Jaguars to stretch their lead and hold off any Smoky Hill comeback attempts.

Next Up: Chaparral Awaits

With the win, Rock Canyon advances to the Sweet 16, where they will face No. 3 Chaparral on Tuesday, March 4. It’s another opportunity for the Jaguars to embrace the underdog role — and they’re more than comfortable wearing that label.

For Smoky Hill, the loss marks the end of a tough season, but Rock Canyon’s playoff journey is just heating up — and they’re playing like a team no one wants to face.