CHSAANow

Month: March 2016

  • Evergreen girls basketball reaches first title game with OT win at buzzer

    BOULDER – With no time left to think, Logan Newhall put up the most important shot of the season for Evergreen’s girls basketball team.

    As the ball dropped through the net, the Cougars had a split-second to breathe a collective sigh of relief – and then the celebration began.

    Newhall’s last-second layup put the exclamation point on a terrific start to the Class 4A state girls semifinals Thursday at Coors Events Center in Boulder. The senior capped a tense 36 minutes of play with the game-winner, sending Evergreen past Sand Creek 71-70 in overtime and into the 4A state title game Saturday afternoon.

    Evergreen (24-3) will be playing for its first state championship when the Cougars take the floor at 1 p.m. against either Valor Christian, which beat Holy Family.

    “I think the shock still needs to wear off,” Cougars coach Amy Bahl said. “It’s amazing. It feels great. I’m on cloud nine, floating right now.”

    Evergreen girls basketball team
    Evergreen is headed to its first title game. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    Evergreen snapped the Scorpions’ 24-game winning streak and withstood a state tournament record-tying 43 points from Sand Creek’s Oliana Squires. The senior had tied the game with a clutch 3-pointer with 25 seconds left in regulation, but the Scorpions (24-2) just missed a last-second layup to force overtime.

    “I knew she was going to get those points – maybe not that many, but I knew she would score quite a bit of their points,” Bahl said. “We just had to let it go and move on to the next player. I think the girls obviously responded to that.”

    Neither team gave an inch in OT. Squires tied the game at 68-68, and then stole the ball with 22.4 seconds left before being fouled. She hit both free throws to give the Scorpions the lead, and Evergreen freshman Claudia Dillon hit 1-of-2 attempts on the other end to make it a one-point game.

    Sand Creek’s Deja Derrell missed a free throw on the other end, and a lane violation on the second attempt gave the Cougars the ball back with 6.9 seconds remaining. On the inbounds to Dillon, the freshman beat the press and dished the ball to Newhall, who drove the lane and connected.

    So what was running through her mind?

    “It’s now or never,” Newhall said. “If you’re going to shoot it, you better shoot it now. I’m just really glad it went in.

    “Everyone at the end of the game I think kept their composure really well,” Newhall added. “So everyone did a great job. Claudia did a great pass to me for the end shot. It was really just a team effort.”

    The Cougars looked like they might start to pull away in the third quarter after taking a 42-33 lead. But Sand Creek went on a 9-0 run to close out the quarter and hit the first two shots of the fourth.

    After enduring a cold spell, Evergreen rebounded behind the play of Samantha Kisiel. The senior scored 14 consecutive points midway through the fourth quarter and finished with 20 on the day.

    “I was like ‘I’m not going to lose. This could be my last game right now and I’m not going to let it get away,’” Kisiel said. “So I stepped up. I knew I was going to have to at some point.”

    Dillon added 14 points for Evergreen and Hannah Orr scored 11. The team outrebounded Sand Creek 37-26 and overcame 23 turnovers.

    “I knew it was going to be tough. I knew either team could get it in the end,” Newhall said. “Which obviously showed with the back-and-forth of the game.”

    Squires was 13-of-21 in her final game for Sand Creek. Her 43 points tied the output of Grandview’s Michaela Onyenwere a year ago, and Ridgway’s Tracy Hill in 1982. Liah Davis added 18 points and eight rebounds.

  • Valor Christian does the little things right to get back to 4A girls basketball title game

    Valor Christian girls basketball team
    Valor Christian girls basketball beat Holy Family in the 4A Final 4. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER — After a season of battling it out for a league championship, Valor Christian and Evergreen are taking their next game one step further.

    But the Eagles (26-1 overall) did the little things right. And in the end, that’s what helped power them to a 63-30 win over Holy Family (20-7). As a result, Valor Christian is going back to the Class 4A girls basketball state championship game.

    They won the state title last year, beating Sand Creek 73-47. Sand Creek fell to Evergreen earlier Thursday night, setting up a title game that will see two Jeffco League teams battle it out for the championship.

    “How great is that,” Valor coach Jessika Caldwell said. “I will take having two Jeffco coaches in the final and also two female coaches in the final. I think that’s pretty great.”

    Caldwell knows her opposing coach well. She and Evergreen coach Amy Bahl played club basketball together and have been friends since their high school days.

    And if the Eagles are as scrappy Saturday as they were in the semifinals, it should make for an exciting game.

    Going into halftime, the Eagles led the Tigers 28-16, but were shooting just 36 percent from the field. Where they made up their ground was by hustling to lose balls and getting second-chance points to build a double-digit.

    “Coming into CU, it’s a totally different arena,” Eagles guard Madison McCoy said. “The lighting is different, everything is different about the court and we just knew that if our shots weren’t falling that we had to get it inside.”

    In the closing seconds of the second quarter, a Kim Childress shot attempt fell short and McCoy was there for the put back as time expired.

    And from that point on, the momentum was in Valor’s hands.

    “The lead that we came in with, we just kind of put aside and set it back to 0-0 going into the second half,” Heidi Hammond said. “We knew that we had to fight hard because they were going to give us everything they had.”

    Hammond led all scorers with 19 points on the night with 17 of them coming in the second half.

    The Eagles must now turn their attention to a team they are very familiar with in Evergreen. The Cougars couldn’t find a way to beat Valor in the regular season, but in a state championship situation, the Eagles know that they can’t take their league rival lightly.

    “I love that they get the opportunity to be out here and we get the opportunity to be out here,” McCoy said. “It just kind of shows that we had a hard league and we always wanted to come back here so we had to keep fighting.”

    When the teams tip on Saturday, the Eagles will not only have an advantage in having beaten the Cougars twice, but also playing on such a large stage. While Valor Christian will be playing in the state final for the second time, Evergreen will be making its first appearance in a state championship game.

    “The best part is to come out and beat them again,” Hammond said. “They’ve studied us well, they played twice to two really close games. They know just about everything that we do, but we also know what they do. It’s going to come down to who has the most heart.”

  • 2A girls basketball Great 8 roundup: Wray reaches the Final 4

    (3) Wray 62, (6) Swink 40

    PUEBLO — Thanks to a strong second-half performance, Wray High School’s girls basketball team is moving on in the Class 2A state tournament.

    Holding a two-point lead at half, the Eagles found another gear soaring to a 62-40 victory over Swink in a quarterfinal game at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.

    “I think depth was the difference,” Wray coach David Reed said. “We were playing 10 kids and they were playing six kids and that makes a huge difference. We were able to run a little more and control the rebounds with our big girls, and we were able to get some easy lay-ups.”

    The Eagles (19-5 overall) advance to play Paonia (24-1) at 4 p.m. Friday in a semifinal game.

    Wray won girls state basketball titles in 2008 and 2009, defeating Paonia in 2009 in the championship game.

    “Coach (Scott) Rienks (of Paonia) does a great job with his team,” Reed said. “We’re going to have to use our depth, 10 players, and take care of the ball a little bit better and control the tempo and give ourselves a shot to win.”

    Wray held a slim 30-28 lead at intermission, but then took control in the third outscoring the Lions 16-6.

    “I told the girls at half that we needed to control our emotions a little better, and make better decisions,” Reed said.

    When Bailey Reed, the coach’s daughter, hit a 3-pointer in the right corner with 26 seconds left in third she gave the Eagles a 46-34 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

    The Eagles kept pushing the pace in the final quarter and were up 52-34 after Maddie Soehner’s transition lay-up with 5:47 remaining.

    Hannah Lenz and Soehner had 15 and 12 points, respectively for the Eagles. Kyla O’Neal was Swink’s lone player in double-figures with 11.

    (1) Yuma 86, (8) Custer County 25

    Logan Hixon had 32 points and Peighton Roth added 18 points, powering top-seeded Yuma to a victory over the Bobcats.

    Yuma jumped out to a 23-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and were never threatened.

    Yuma (24-1) has been in the state championship game three years in a row, losing to Akron (2013), Lutheran (2014) and Akron again last year.

    The Indians were trying to win their first girls state basketball championship since 1997.

    Elizabeth Mullett paced Custer County (10-13) with nine points.

    (2)Paonia 52, (7)Sanford 25

    Taylor Carsten and Ashley Van Vleet had 10 points each as the Eagles muscled past the Indians.

    The Eagles raced out to a 21-8 first-quarter lead on the strength of Carstens seven points – six of them coming via two 3-pointers.

    Any chance Sanford had of getting back in the game in the second half was snuffed out as the Eagles only allowed the Indians 10 points total in the third and fourth quarter.

    Cedaredge 53, Kiowa 41

    With a chance for victory slipping away, Cedaredge came alive.

    The Bruins finished the game on an 18-0 run in the last six and a half minutes of the game to claim the victory.

    “It got a little out of control,” Cedaredge coach Ryan Hilbig said. “I was about to call a timeout and then we hit one three, and then we hit another three and we woke up. It was a big win for us.”

    Cedaredge ran its record to 22-2 and will meet top-seeded Yuma at 7 p.m. Friday in the semifinals. Kiowa dropped to 19-5.

    This is the Bruins first appearance in the semifinals since 2007 and that bid didn’t seem like it was going happen early in the fourth quarter.

    Courtney Freeman hit drained a 3-pointer from the left of the top of the key with 5:08 left to give the Bruins a 44-41 lead they would never surrender.

    Nellie Freeman, a senior and Courtney’s older sister, led the team with 15 points and Kendall McHugh added 12.

    Kiowa’s Helen Janes and Melanie Deering had 12 points each on the loss.

  • 3A girls basketball Great 8 roundup: Centauri upsets top seed Pagosa Springs

    Centauri girls basketball team
    Centauri girls basketball upset No. 1 Pagosa Springs in the 3A Great 8. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    DENVER – The Class 3A girls state basketball tournament opened Thursday at the Denver Coliseum with a classic upset.

    Centauri, the ninth seed, knocked off No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Pagosa Springs 36-35.

    The Falcons opened up a six-point lead by intermission but the Pirates inched back.

    Centauri held off Pagosa as Veronica Fringer scored four of the Falcons’ seven fourth-quarter points. She led Centauri with 14 points, Alyssa Gomez adding 11.

    Morgan Lewis matched Fringer’s effort, leading the Pirates with 14.

    Lutheran Moffat County girls basketball
    Lutheran girls basketball beat Moffat County in the Great 8. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    In the first game of the day, Lutheran handled Moffat County 55-40. The Lions built a 34-15 halftime lead in cruising to the victory.

    Morgan Barone and Kristin Vigil provided a strong one-two punch for Lutheran, the former leading all scorers with 20 points and Vigil adding 18. Morgan Lawton paced the Bulldogs with 17

    Second-seeded Sterling jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the first quarter and eased to a 43-26 victory over Faith Christian.

    The Tigers got balanced scoring behind Jenna Knudson (16), Abbey Browder (12) and Kylie Chavez (8). Hristina Geraskova’s 12 paced the Eagles.

    Manitou Springs cruised to a victory in the nightcap, defeating Eaton 55-27.

    The Mustangs held the Reds to nine points in the first half, taking a 25-point lead at intermission.

    “We just knew we had to have a strong start,” said junior guard Shelby Megyeri, who scored 12 points.

    “I was real excited about how we played defense,” Manitou coach Jon Asp said.

    “We knew we had to stay in help defense and keep them from shooting the 3,” said Angala Jensen, who led all scorers with 18 points.

    Jensen said the players were nervous entering the Coliseum.

    “We decided we were going to eliminate those nerves in warmups,” she said.

    Kaci Jurgnsmeier paced the Reds with 10 points.

    In Friday’s consolation round, Pagosa Springs and Moffat County square off at 8:45 a.m. Faith Christian and Eaton meet at 11:45.

    The semifinals find Sterling and Manitou Springs facing off at 4 p.m. Centauri and Lutheran complete the girls’ schedule at 7:00.

  • 1A boys basketball Great 8 roundup: Shining Mountain grinds out win vs. Kit Carson

    LOVELAND — Style points are of no consequence come tournament time.

    In a grind-it-out type game between Shining Mountain and Kit Carson, the No. 4 Lions defeated the No. 5 Wildcats 45-34 in the Class 1A boys basketball Great 8 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland.

    For Shining Mountain (22-2), a school in Boulder, critical defensive stops and a late run in the final quarter allowed the Lions to keep Kit Carson (18-6) at bay.

    Leading 15-11 after the first quarter, 21-18 at halftime and 32-29 after the third, Shining Mountain gave up 20 points, including four three-pointers, to junior guard Brad Johnson, but only 14 points to the entire rest of the team.

    (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)
    Shining Mountain’s Gavin Edwards. (Brock Laue/CHSAANow.com)

    Meanwhile, the Lions had a bit more balanced effort offensively as seniors Gray Hill (13 points), Gavin Edwards (13) and Luke Feigal (7) all contributed. Sophomore forward Nathan Fairmont chipped in six.

    “I thought we did a decent job of playing poised,” Shining Mountain coach Sean Lynch said. “There were definitely a few points where we got a little out of control, but we talk all the time about how other teams are going to make runs. It’s all about how we respond to those runs.”

    Shining Mountain’s largest lead up until the final two minutes of the game was only eight, but they had a slight advantage in momentum throughout, playing with plenty of energy in front of a large and raucous crowd.

    “We’re really appreciative of that,” Edwards said of the Lions’ fan section. “Our fans really come out and support us at a lot of our games.”

    Shining Mountain will be appearing in their first Final 4 in boys basketball since losing to McClave in the state championship game in 2013.

    The Lions will be facing No. 1 Holly in the semifinals.

    (1) Holly 67 (8) Cheraw 43

    The Wildcats are now 21-2 and the defending 1A champions. They have plenty of athletic and really skilled guards, ones who can control the pace and dominate at both ends.

    Holly will be a tough out for anyone, but Shining Mountain is playing well and will take their crack at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

    (3) Ouray 71  (6) Rocky Mountain Lutheran 54

    The Trojans improved to 21-2 by jumping on Rocky Mountain 36-28 at half. Eli Sievert had 24 points in the loss for Rocky Mountain Lutheran.

    Ouray, a team in their second straight state tournament, advances to face Fleming at 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

    (2) Fleming 32  (7) Norwood 24

    The Wildcats improved to 22-2 by grinding one out in the quarterfinals against Norwood. Fleming lost to Holly by one in the state finals last season, so they have an experienced and seasoned group.

    Fleming will have an interesting matchup against high-scoring Ouray in the Final 4.

  • 1A girls basketball Great 8 roundup: South Baca knocks out No. 1 Kit Carson

    (Photo courtesy of Paul Webber)
    South Baca upset No. 1-seeded Kit Carson in the 1A Great 8. (Photo courtesy of Paul Webber)

    LOVELAND — The girls basketball program at South Baca has come a long ways in recent years.

    After posting a 7-32 record during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons, the Patriots went 35-10 the previous two seasons, but lost by three points apiece to Kit Carson and Eads in their regional tournaments.

    On Thursday, at the Class 1A state tournament at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, the eighth-seeded Patriots (20-4) upset the top-seeded and previously undefeated Kit Carson Wildcats 60-47 in the Great 8. A season ago, Flagler took down No. 1 seed Norwood in the state quarterfinals as well.

    A cooperative program comprised of Campo, Vilas and Pritchett, South Baca, with no girls taller than 5-foot-10, wore down a bigger Kit Carson (22-1) team by pushing the pace in the second half and outscoring the Wildcats 18-3 in the third and 34-17 after the break.

    “That’s the way we like to play,” third-year South Baca coach Tom Jacobs said. “We like to play pressure defense and get up and down the floor. I think Kit Carson’s fatigue finally got to them a little bit there.”

    South Baca also rode the hot hand of 1A’s leading scorer, Shae Wood (20.6 points per game), who poured in a game-high 25 points, including 18 in the first half.

    “It’s no secret to anybody. We go to Shae Wood,” Jacobs said. “When everyone else is having a bad game, Shae Wood seems to carry us through those rough spots. Once we started getting on the boards in the second half and getting on the break, we just used our athletic ability and kind of took over the game. We had a team defensive effort.”

    Wood, fellow senior guard Montana Yocam (17 points) and junior forward Bree-Ann Carwin (12), the team’s offensive leaders throughout the season, carried South Baca to their first-ever Final 4 appearance in girls basketball.

    “It’s pretty amazing,” Wood said. “We really worked hard all season. Our goal was to get to state and we finally did it this year. We just had to keep ourselves focused.”

    Micayla Isenbart, Kit Carson’s 6-foot-2 versatile sophomore guard, finished the game with 23 points, but no one else for the Wildcats scored more than eight.

    South Baca advances to Friday’s semifinals at Budweiser Events Center at 4 p.m. against Idalia.

    (4) Idalia 52 (5) Norwood 33

    The Wolves rode a 30-8 halftime lead to a blowout victory in the state quarterfinals. They also improved to 19-2 on the season as Susana Herarra (13 points), Jennay Terrel (11) and Reagan Shaffer (10) led the way in the scoring department.

    Idalia will be defending their 2015 state championship against South Baca at 4 p.m. on Friday.

    (6) Briggsdale 38 (3) Heritage Christian 29

    The Falcons will be making their second semifinals appearance in the last three seasons after holding off Heritage Christian and improving to 22-3. Briggsdale also reached the state championship in 2008, losing to Eads.

    On Thursday, Darian Hale (12 points), Brianne Schneider (10) and Jodel Erickson (10) stepped up in a major way. Briggsdale faces Sangre de Cristo at 7 p.m. in the semifinals.

    (2) Sangre de Cristo 50 (7) Genoa-Hugo 48

    The Thunderbirds stayed undefeated at 24-0 as senior Brooke Slane had a game-high 21 points. Fellow seniors Karleigh Cooley (14 points) and Jenna McKinley (11) had nice efforts for Sangre as well.

    Sangre de Cristo will go against Briggsdale.

  • ThunderRidge girls basketball holds off Grandview to return to 5A title game

    ThunderRidge girls basketball team
    ThunderRidge girls basketball beat Grandview in the 5A Great 8. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER – Coming up just short of capturing a state title last March didn’t sit well with ThunderRidge’s girls basketball team.

    But rather than focus on the negative, the Grizzlies had a different message to embrace before the 2016 postseason began. Former ThunderRidge and Duke standout Abby Waner spoke to the team and told them their goal had not been denied – it was just delayed.

    The Grizzlies took those words to heart and Thursday night moved back into the Class 5A championship game for the second year in a row with a 69-67 victory over previously undefeated Grandview at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.

    They’ll face Highlands Ranch at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

    “We’ve kind of gone with that, playing for each other,” ThunderRidge coach Matt Asik said. “Playing for a different purpose than just playing basketball. Playing for something greater than us and understanding that our goal is still there. It just was delayed a little bit.”

    After a 47-42 loss to Broomfield in last year’s title game, the Grizzlies (24-3) get their opportunity at redemption at 3 p.m. on Saturday against either Continental League rival Highlands Ranch or Ralston Valley.

    “We’ve been playing together for so long and we have so much chemistry,” ThunderRidge senior Dallas Petties said. “This has been a goal for us since we were younger and watching other ThunderRidge players. We’re just so excited to be here.”

    Petties finished with 12 points, one of four Grizzlies in double figures. Alyssia Martinez led the way with 21 points, Jaz’myne Snipes added 18 and Taylor Rusk scored 11.

    The team withstood a second-hand surge from Grandview (26-1), weathering runs in the third and fourth quarters. After leading by 12 points in the final minute of the first half, the Wolves got to within three points a few times in the third quarter but could never get any closer.

    It was more of the same in the fourth quarter, but the Grizzlies found an answer each time.

    “I would have been surprised if they didn’t get closer,” Asik said. “We were up on (Highlands) Ranch by 12 or 13 at halftime and they came out and kicked our butts in the second half.”

    Grandview cut the lead to 67-65 with 12.3 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer from Kennede Brown, but Petties knocked down a pair of free throws in the final 10 seconds. Michaela Onyenwere scored the last of her game-high 26 points to close out the scoring.

    “I was nervous, but I just try to focus in because I’m here for my team,” Petties said. “I do everything for them and I know they needed me then.”

    Onyenwere was a force in the second half, pouring in 22 points and hitting a handful of big 3-pointers. Brown added 11 points and Allyah Marlett scored 10.

    “She’s very athletic,” Petties said of Onyenwere. “Just making sure we keep her off the boards, boxing her out – we knew she’s a great player.”

    Grandview represented the second top overall seed that ThunderRidge eliminated after a quarterfinal victory over Lakewood.

    “We felt we were as good as them. They’re a good team,” Asik said of the Wolves. “They beat us earlier and we felt that we could beat them.”

  • Highlands Ranch storms back into 5A girls basketball title game

    Highlands Ranch girls basketball team
    Highlands Ranch girls basketball beat Ralston Valley in the Great 8. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    BOULDER — It’s been a long three years, but Highlands Ranch finally gets a chance to bring home an eighth state title.

    The Falcons (26-1 overall) had little trouble with Ralston Valley Thursday night at the Coors Events Center, beating the Mustangs 66-46 to advance to Saturday’s Class 5A state championship game.

    In order to finish the season as champion, Highlands Ranch will have to take down a familiar foe in ThunderRidge. It will be the second meeting between the rival schools this year. The Falcons beat the Grizzlies 46-37 back on Jan. 22.

    “It’s an awfully big honor for our league to have two teams in the championship game,” Falcons coach Caryn Jarocki said. “We battle it out with them so it could be a really good game.”

    Like a well-oiled machine, the Falcons started churning out points right away and remained relentless through most of the contest. They suffocated the Mustangs (23-4) defensively in the first quarter, giving up only four points. Ralston Valley was able to keep pace with the Highlands Ranch offense in the second quarter, but the Falcons came out on fire in the third, jumping out to a 53-33 lead.

    “We really focus on defense and that’s what we do and who we are,” Jarocki said. “And then our transition started to work really well in the second half.”

    Blaire Braxton may have led the Falcons in scoring with 18 points, but the offensive onslaught consisted of four players scoring in double-digits.

    “We step out on the court every single day and play as a unit,” senior Bri Stiers said. “I think that shows. We step out on the court and we play unselfishly. We let each other shine.”

    Sarah Bevington was the steady hand on offense for the Mustangs, scoring 22 points while pulling down six rebounds.

    But turnovers plagued Ralston Valley and Highlands Ranch was able to capitalize often.

    “It’s really helpful (to get points off turnovers),” Jarocki said. “It (makes us hard to stop), but we have to play really good defense.”

    By the start of the fourth quarter, the Ralston Valley fans began to disperse out of the Coors Events Center while those faithful to the Falcons continued to rejoice in unison.

    A looming showdown with the Grizzlies is already increasing the anticipation for the game. It’s a rivalry that one Highlands Ranch student described as “intense.” He also added that the two schools “obviously can’t stand each other.”

    So what will the atmosphere in Boulder look like with championship gold on the line?

    Only time will tell.

    “It’s going to be crazy and it’s going to be fun,” sophomore Leilah Vigil said. “You just have to embrace the moment and take everything in at once.”

    The Falcons are looking to win their first title since 2011, while the Grizzlies hope to end an 11-year span where they have come close several times, only to fall short.

  • 2A boys basketball Great 8 roundup: Holyoke rallies to beat Ignacio in OT

    PUEBLO — This game needed a hero and Jesus Loya delivered.

    The senior made a free throw with 16.8 seconds left to vault Holyoke to a 61-60 overtime decision over Ignacio in a Class 2A quarterfinal game at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.

    “I’m just super proud of the way they competed all night,” Holyoke coach Scott Dille said. “They just stuck together through thick and then. We didn’t start real well, but I guess it didn’t matter.”

    Holyoke improved to 22-3 and advances to play Sanford, the same the two-time defending state champs. The Bobcats dropped to 21-3.

    Holyoke trailed 17-2 late in the first quarter, and then late in the fourth the Dragons were also struggling.

    Ignacio went to spread offense to run the clock and it worked as the Bobcats took a 51-43 lead with 2:47 left in the fourth quarter after Kruz Pardo’s free throw.

    Holyoke came charging back and Gunnar Kroeger made a trey the Dragons were only down 52-48 with 1:34 left. Pardo drained two free throws with 65 seconds remaining to put the Bobcats up 54-50, but Holyoke’s Alex Strauss answered with a 3-point play and then Kroeger made a long-distance trey with 31 seconds showing to tie the game at 54-54.

    In overtime, the game remained tied at 56-56 at the 3:11 mark. Igancio’s Nicholas Herrera’s inside bucket gave the Bobcats a 58-56 lead, but Holyoke answered to tie the game at 58-58 with 1:52 left. The deadlock remained at 60-60, until Holyoke’s Loya went to the free throw line with 16.8 ticks left.

    Loya missed his first attempt, but made his second giving the Dragons the 61-60 lead. On the ensuing possession, Ignacio’s Wyatt Hayes drove to the hoop, but was called for a charge at the 5.9-second mark.

    Hoyoke’s Alex Strauss was fouled immediately, but missed the front end of his one-on-one attempt.

    Loya came to the rescue again, stealing the ball and the time ran out giving the Dragons the improbable win.

    “I was glad my guys had the confidence to take shots at the end of the game and make them,” Dille said.

    In the third quarter, the Bobcats stretched their lead when Anthony Manzanares scored five consecutive points, giving his team a 45-32 at the end of the third quarter.

    Holyoke’s Jesus Loya drained a trey and Austin Herman put in a follow shot and Loya added an inside bucket to get the Dragons within 49-41 with 5:05 left in the fourth.

    (2) Resurrection Christian 69, (7) Rye 52

    The mission is simple.

    Resurrection Christian’s boys basketball team wants to win a Class 2A state title.

    The Cougars took one step toward reaching that goal by ousting Rye 69-52 in a Class 2A quarterfinal game at Colorado State University-Pueblo’s Massari Arena.

    “I thought we played excellent the first half,” said Resurrection coach Bruce Dick, who team lead 40-21 at half. “We gave up a few transition points to them, but we didn’t turn the ball over. That was a key to a great start. We got a little sloppy the fourth quarter. We tried doing things in one pass instead of working some offense and it kind of bit us a little bit, but we answered the call. I thought we played hard.”

    The Cougars, who were a Class 2A runner-up to Sanford a year ago, ran their record to 24-0. The Cougars will face Sedgwick County (23-1) at 5:30 p.m. today in the semifinals. Rye dropped to 21-4.

    “We have not played Sedgwick County and they are a good fast team,” Dick said. “They like to get up and down the floor. We’ve talked about getting back to the state title game for 12 months now and we want to learn (from last year) and hopefully we will get another opportunity this year.”

    Tanner Ervin scored 29 points, including five 3-pointers, and Luke Fick added 17 as the Cougars sped past the T-Bolts.

    Rye’s Connor Hale tried to keep the Thunderbolts in the game as he had 30 points – 17 in the fourth quarter. He converted an old-fashion 3-point play with 2:14 left to get Rye within 61-51, but the Thunderbolts could get no closer.

    (1) Sanford 82, (8) Ellicott 62

    The two-time defending state champion Indians survived an early scare and regrouped to capture the 20-point victory.

    Sanford improved to 25-0 on the season and dating back to the middle of the 2013-2014 season the Indians have won 71 games in a row. Ellicott fell to 18-5 on the season.

    Miles Caldon fueled Sanford with 25 points, and made 8-of-11 free throws. Caldon wasn’t the only player providing offensive power as Chamce Canty (15), Griffin Peterson (11) and Austin Chavez (10) all scored in double-figures.

    Top-seeded Sanford looked anything but in the first quarter as the Indians were trailing 11-1 in the early going.

    That wasn’t a sign of things to come. The Indians stayed calm and found a way to win.

    “I thought our kids played well,” veteran Sanford coach Rhett Larsen said. “That team came out and hit some shot and they were hot. I don’t think we were flat really, I just think they were sharp. I was real proud of our guys how they have fought back. I think our experience helped and we kept our composure pretty well.”

    Sanford rallied and took a 34-28 lead at half and stretched things out to a 53-38 advantage with eight minutes to play. Morgan Murray had a game-high 27 points in Ellicott’s loss, including five three-pointers.

    (3) Sedgwick County 72, (6) Paonia 59

    Tyler Woodhams poured in 35 points leading the Cougars to a 72-59 win over the Eagles.

    The Cougars (23-1) held a five-point lead at intermission and then pulled away for good in the second half, as Woodhams scored 18 of his points in the final 16 minutes.

    Dagan Rienks had 28 in Paonia’s loss. The Eagles drop into the consolation bracket with a 23-2 record.

    “I thought our team defense was good at times and Tyler did step up and we have some other kids who need to step up, especially on the offensive end,” said Sedgwick coach Stacy Woodhams, Tyler’s father. “It is always tough to get the first win and we got it. It was kind of ugly, but it is a win.”

    The younger Woodhams made two treys and was 15-of-18 from the free throw line.

  • 3A boys basketball Great 8 roundup: Manual roars into Final 4

    DENVER – Manual basketball is back.

    The premier Colorado high school basketball program of the 1960s and ’70s, the team fell on hard times when Denver Public Schools shut the school down.

    The Thunderbolts brought pride back to the program on Thursday, defeating Colorado Academy 70-66 at the Denver Coliseum in the Class 3A Great 8.

    Colorado Academy had beaten Manual twice during the regular season, by 30 and 12 points. The difference Thursday, according to freshman Jadedon Bradley, was effort.

    “They know what’s up,” T-Bolts coach Anson Ramiro said. “It’s been a roller-coaster ride, shutting down the school.”

    The players, only one of which is a senior, understand the importance of Manual basketball to the community.

    The Thunderbolts went on a 23-point scoring splurge in the second quarter to overtake the Mustangs 38-29 at half.

    Colorado Academy answered by outscoring the T-Bolts 17-2 through the first half of the third quarter, but Manual closed out the quarter on a 9-2 run to retake the lead 49-48 entering the fourth.

    The Mustangs pulled to within three twice but the Bolts hit the offensive boards and got free throws down the stretch to secure the win.

    Bradley finished with 26 points to lead all scorers.

    “We’re trying to get Manual back on top,” he said.

    As for Ramiro, he believes in his young team.

    “We’re changing history,” he vowed.

    Alamosa boys basketball team
    Alamosa knocked off No. 1 seed DSST-Stapleton. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    Alamosa, however, pulled off the upset of the day to open the 3A boys state basketball tournament on Thursday.

    The Mean Moose outscored top-seeded Denver School of Science and Technology-Stapleton in overtime to overtake the Knights 73-70.

    Alamosa put on a furious fourth-quarter rally, scoring 29 points to tie the game at the end of regulation.

    The Mean Moose spread the wealth with six players scoring at least eight points, Ryan Brubacher leading the way with 19.

    DSST got a monster game from Blake Pullen, who led all scorers with 26.

    Lutheran got on top of Grand Valley early in defeating the Cardinals 66-55.

    A balanced scoring effort saw Will Willis lead the way with 19 points; Josh Bjorgum added 18 and Tanner Rich 14.

    Grand Valley got 13 apiece from John Parker and Tanner Magee.

    Lutheran Grand Valley boys basketball
    Lutheran boys basketball beat Grand Valley in the Great 8. More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)

    Colorado Springs Christian upended third seed Manitou Springs 48-41.

    The Mustangs held the lead through most of the first half until a late surge gave the Lions an 18-16 halftime lead.

    CSC extended its lead in the third quarter and went up 35-25 a half-minute into the fourth, but Manitou quickly pulled to within three before a couple of clutch baskets sealed the win for CSC.

    It was the Lions’ second victory over Manitou this season.

    “It was very similar to the first time we played them (a 47-36 CSC win),” Lions coach Mark Engesser said of the Mustangs grabbing a lead and CSC coming back just before the half.

    Engesser’s son Justin, a junior forward, said it was a matter of he and his teammates adapting to a state tournament atmosphere.

    “It was just settling in and adjusting to what they were doing,” said the younger Engesser, who tied for team-high scoring honors with Samuel Howard; each had 14 points.

    The Mustangs’ Cole Sienknecht led all scorers with 15.

    Grand Valley and Manitou Springs play a consolation game at 10:15 a.m. Friday, followed by DSST and Colorado Academy at 1:30 p.m.

    In the semifinals, Alamosa and Manual meet at 5:30. The last game of the day at 8:30 features Lutheran and Colorado Springs Christian.