There was a line out the door to see Banning Lewis Preparatory Academy in the first round of the 3A boys state basketball tournament. 

The Stallions put on a show, with senior Matthew Lebron as the lead act. 

No. 3 Banning Lewis topped No. 30 Frontier Academy 81-56 at Vista Ridge on Friday, but the game was highlighted by Lebron reaching 2,000 career points, becoming just the 16th Colorado high schooler to reach the milestone, according to CHSAA’s official list of 2,000-point scorers. 

Lebron needed 27 points to reach the mark going into Friday’s game, and with 25 points late in the third quarter, the guard sank a 3-pointer in front of an electric Banning Lewis student section to notch 28 points and cement himself in state basketball history. 

“It was great,” Lebron said of the moment. “I had that pressure on my chest of knowing I was 27 points away, and I’m thankful I hit it. Thankful for my teammates for finding me. It’s a great achievement, but I just wanted to win. I didn’t care about 2,000. As long as we got the win and moved on to the second round, that’s all that matters.”

Lebron’s 2,000 points are a culmination of hard work over the past four years, according to his father, Jose Lebron. It was never a goal, and his family didn’t even talk about it the week leading up to Friday’s game.

The focus was on the team.

“For him to play so unselfishly and create for others and take what came to him and still have a great scoring night as well, it was beautiful basketball, and it couldn’t happen to a better kid,” Stallions head coach Wes McKenzie said. 

Lebron left the court after the golden 3-pointer, and briefly returned in the fourth quarter, but did not score any more to put his point total at 2,001 going into Saturday’s second-round game against No. 14 SkyView Academy. 

“Now I just want to win,” Lebron said. “Whatever it takes to win, whatever coach tells me to do, I’ll do it on the floor.”

Jackson Belt led Frontier Academy (9-14) with 13 points on 11 of 16 shooting from the foul line. Lebron, who is averaging 26.2 points per game, led Banning Lewis (22-2) in scoring, followed by senior Canon Miller with 13. 

The Stallions led from start to finish, with Lebron’s 20 points in the first half (15 in the first quarter) helping the Stallions to a 55-19 halftime lead. Banning Lewis didn’t slow down, continuing its intensity on defense to lead 67-30 after three quarters and adding 14 more in the fourth. 

“Anytime (LeBron) is shooting that well, we can play with anybody,” McKenzie said. “Our team kind of feeds off of him, so when he gets hot, everyone else’s confidence continues to rise, and the urgency on defense continues to ramp up when you’re making shots.”

The rowdy atmosphere in the stands added to the excitement of Lebron’s milestone, and McKenzie hopes the Banning Lewis community continues to show up for the Stallions.

Moving forward in the tournament, he challenges the boys to “play good basketball” and to play unselfishly.

“You may never get opportunities like this where people pay money to come watch you play, so we try to reiterate that to the kids that this is special,” McKenzie said. “Everyone has got to be a weapon. Proud of how unselfish we played, and we just need to sustain that to make a run.”