SUPERIOR — Top-ranked Regis Jesuit hockey jumped out to a 4-1 lead early in the third period, then held on for a 4-3 win over No. 2 Monarch on Saturday night.
Wyatt Verity led Regis Jesuit with two goals, while Shane Ott had three assists. Paxton Erickson and Connor Kilkenny also scored for the Raiders.
Leo Felt had two goals and an assist for Monarch, and Yuta Young also scored.
The game was a rematch of the past two championship games. Monarch won last season, and Regis won in 2016.
COLORADO SPRINGS — Megan Engesser didn’t have the best second half of her season. But she came up clutch when the CSCS Lions needed her the most.
Engesser knocked the ball out of Cali Clark’s hands, got fouled and made the two free throws needed to help the Class 3A No. 3 Lions close out a 32-38 over Lamar on Friday.
For CSCS (13-2 overall, 7-0 Tri-Peaks), this game has been almost a year in the making. It was the No. 5 Savages who won the previous meeting, which happened in the 3A title game at the University of Denver last March.
“We wanted it bad,” Engesser said. “We’ve been practicing for 10 months just thinking about this game.”
Engesser came into the game averaging 22 points per game, but was ended 10 shy of that mark. But each basket, each free throw came a crucial time for the Lions.
And they needed those clutch moments after a rough start to the game. They struggled on the glass early as 12 of the Savages’ first 18 points came on second-chance opportunities.
“You just have to go get the ball,” CSCS coach Mark Engesser said. “You have to go get the ball with every ounce of strength you have and we did that in the second half.”
They also clamped down defensively. The Savages (10-3, 4-2) only scored four total field goals in the entire second half. Brecken Payne scored three on her own in the first and score nine of her team-high 11 points in the first half.
The Lions knew that if they were going to get beat, it was going to be by Payne or really anyone other than Clark.
(Kelsey Lowry/CHSAANow.com)
The sophomore standout was double-teamed much of the game only scored nine.
“They didn’t really do anything that was real impressive,” Lamar coach Erik Melgoza said. “If you’re hanging on somebody they can’t shoot.”
The Lions held a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter and neither team was able to find an offensive rhythm.
CSCS extended its lead thanks to a basket from Rachel Ingram, but the key was not allowing the Savages to score at all until there was a minute left in the game. Clark was able to bank a 3-point to pull Lamar to within four.
Bailee Lee scored her only basket of the game to cut the CSCS lead to two and the Savages were able to make a steal and get the ball back with a chance to tie or win.
The Savages got the ball to Clark who was moving for an open shot when Engesser took a swipe and knocked the ball loose, sealing the game.
“The girls wanted this,” Mark Engesser said. “But they still have to get better. You still have Lamar and St. Mary’s and Centarui. Any one of these teams can beat each other so you have to keep getting better.”
The Lions will get a shot at the state’s current No. 1 team in two weeks when they play league rival St. Mary’s. At the rate both teams are going, that could be the game to decide the regular season Tri-Peaks title.
ARVADA — It has been a two-team race for the girls basketball Class 5A Jeffco League title for nearly a decade.
Ralston Valley and Lakewood has won or shared the conference championship nine of the last 10 seasons. Arvada West snuck in with a league title in 2010, but beside that the Mustangs and Tigers have dominated the 5A Jeffco League.
“We are two great teams and it’s really fun to have another team like that in our league,” Lakewood senior Camilla Emsbo said after the Tigers took a 50-44 road victory against Ralston Valley on Friday night. “It’s great preparation for when it really counts at the end of the season.”
Ralston Valley’s Delaynie Byrne (13) had a game-high 22 points, but it wasn’t enough for the Mustangs. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Ralston Valley, No. 2 in the latest CHSAANow.com 5A girls basketball rankings, and No. 8 Lakewood squared off for the second time this season with both atop of the 5A Jeffco standings once again.
“Coach Poisson also tells us, ‘Don’t play with emotion. Play with passion.’ Tonight we went out and played one play at a time,” said Lakewood senior Hannah Renstrom who finished with a 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. “We didn’t look at the game as a whole. I think we came together as a team really well.”
The Mustangs (14-2, 6-1 in league) took a 14-point victory against the Tigers (14-3, 6-1) as both teams opened up conference play just after winter break. Friday night Lakewood evened up the season series thanks to a key 10-0 run the second half to take the 6-point victory.
Renstrom ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer to tie things up at 36-36 heading the final quarter. Senior Jessica Woodhead and sophomore Nadia Trevizo each hit 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the fourth for the Tigers to give Lakewood its biggest lead of the night.
“This is what you play for,” said Emsbo, who grabbed the final rebound and spiked the basketball after the final buzzer sounded. “This is the win we’ve been looking for all season. This is exactly what we needed. I’m just so grateful that I’m on a team that can step up when they need to and get it done.”
The future Yale University basketball player led the Tigers with 19 points.
Ralston Valley was on a 14-game winning streak. A Mustang win and the path would be fairly clear for the Mustangs to repeat as conference champs and possibly go undefeated for the second straight year in league play.
However, Lakewood’s defense turned it up a notch after the first quarter. The Tigers put constant pressure on the ball and held Ralston Valley to a season-low 44 points.
Ralston Valley’s Shelby Nichols (15) goes up for a shot. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“We are going to have to deal with pressure better,” Ralston Valley coach Jeff Gomer said of what he learned in the Mustangs’ first loss since their season opener against defending state champion Grandview. “Early we were attacking the basketball, but as the pressure ramped up we started playing sideways and backwards.”
Ralston Valley senior Delaynie Byrne had a game-high 22 points, but no other Mustang was able to reach double-digit points.
If Ralston Valley and Lakewood win their remaining five conference games they will share the league title.
“I think both (Lakewood and Ralston Valley) of us are looking a little further than that,” Gomer said of the league title. “We needed this. We haven’t had a close game in a long time.”
The Mustangs do have a pair of good tune-up non-league games before the start of the postseason. Ralston Valley hosts No. 7 Fruita Monument at 6 p.m. next Friday, Feb. 2. No. 10 Cherry Creek then hosts the Mustangs for an afternoon tilt on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Lakewood also has a challenging non-league game before the playoffs. The Tigers face 4A’s No. 6 Mesa Ridge on Feb. 10.
“You worry about the league stuff now because that is where we are at,” Lakewood coach Chris Poisson said. “We’ll worry about the tournament when we get there. We still have a month to go.”
While Lakewood finished second in 5A Jeffco last year, Poisson guided the Tigers to the program’s first state title game. Grandview did win the championship over Lakewood as the Tigers’ Cinderella story fell one win short on claiming a state title.
Of course Lakewood would love to get back to the state title game, and if Poisson had his choice he would love to have a third go-around against Ralston Valley.
“As long as it’s in the championship. I would love that,” Poisson said when asked if he would like to get Ralston Valley in the playoffs. “Jeff (Gomer) and I are such good friends. Ralston Valley’s girls are awesome. To make it an all-Jeffco championship would be my selfish goal.”
Lakewood and Ralston Valley could share the 5A Jeffco title if both win the remaining five conference games. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
DENVER — Centoria Roberts led Denver South girls basketball with 20 points, and Timiya Guevara added 15 as the Rebels got a 66-46 win over George Washington on Friday.
AURORA — Fran Belibi doesn’t always have to do everything. Sometimes she just needs to do enough.
And after getting into early foul trouble on Thursday night, she did what she needed to do and got help across the board as the Class 5A No. 1 Regis Jesuit Raiders grabbed a 37-34 win over No. 4 Highlands Ranch.
“It’s always (frustrating) when that happens,” Belibi said. “They have great post players. In my mind, I couldn’t get into foul trouble. It was frustrating.”
But her teammates were there to pick up the slack. The Raiders (14-3 overall, 4-0 Continental) trailed by three after the first quarter and Belibi was forced to the bench with three fouls.
Sophomore Jada Moore make two key baskets to help Regis take a slim lead into halftime. It was clear as the game played out that every point was going to be important for both sides. Avery Vansickle knocked down one free throw and Jasmine Gaines hit a field goal and a free throw to help the Raiders take the lead.
“My teammates really stepped up,” Belibi said.
And everyone stepped up defensively in the third quarter. Regis only managed to put up six points, but they held the Falcons (14-4, 4-1) without a field goal until Kasey Neubert made a layup with 35 seconds left in the quarter.
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
Neubert scored a team-high 12 for Highlands Ranch, but she and no one else could really make anything happen offensively in the third.
“That the biggest thing about winning championships is defense,” Regis coach Carl Mattei said. “We’ve been working really hard on that, on man-to-man and on jumping through screens.”
The Falcons regained their rhythm in the fourth as Tommi Olson scored five of her eight points in the quarter. But Regis was ready to answer. Jasmine Gaines knocked down a big 3-pointer to bring the crowd alive and Belibi’s lone field goal of the quarter was a put-back that kept the Falcons at arm’s length.
Overall, the Raiders showed that that they don’t have just talent, but depth and versatility to add.
“Our biggest thing is next man up,” Moore said. “If one player is down the next one just has to come and step up.”
Regardless of outcome, Thursday’s game was crucial for the outlook of the Continental League. Three of the top six teams in the state come out of that league and for the Raiders to come away with a win over Highlands Ranch with Belibi in foul trouble is something that should be noted for future opponents.
“This game is kind of a statement game based on what they did to us last year,” Mattei said.
The Raiders will get the weekend to rest and then will travel to Castle View on Tuesday. The Sabercats are currently undefeated in league play and are ranked No. 6 in the CHSAANow.com poll.
AURORA — Three quarters of Thrusday’s game between Highlands Ranch and Regis Jesuit belonged to the Highlands Ranch shooters.
The fourth quarter belonged to the Regis Jesuit defense. In the case of the top-10 showdown, defense and winning the fourth quarter meant winning the game.
The Class 5A No. 8 Raiders started the final quarter on a 9-0 run and it carried them to a 61-58 win and evened out their conference record.
“They gave us all we wanted,” Regis coach Ken Shaw said. “They played extremely well and we didn’t have much of a sense of urgency early.”
Just like any other night, the Raiders (13-4 overall, 2-2 Continental League) relied on distributed scoring to come away with a win. But it was a little more unconventional than usual.
Sam Bannec struggled to get open looks and scored just seven points, about half of his regular output.
Through the first half, it didn’t look like Jamil Safieddine was going to fare much better. He was held scoreless through the first 16 minutes of regulation, but came out on fire in the second half to lead Regis with 14 points.
“I knew my shots would eventually go in because I believe in percentages,” Safieddine said. “I stuck with it and it finally went in for me.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
The Falcons (13-4, 3-2) really didn’t have a problem hoping the percentages would come through. In the first half alone, they knocked down seven 3-pointers, three of which came from Tristan Hurdle.
Like Safieddine for the Raiders, Brendan Sullivan exploded in the second half, scoring all of his game-high 20 after halftime.
He scored nine in the third as Highlands Ranch took a 47-41 lead into the final quarter.
But then things got chilly for the Falcons. Neither team was able to score in the first three and half minutes of the fourth quarter, but the Raiders finally came around. It took Highlands Ranch more than six minutes to make a shot.
And when playing a team like Regis Jesuit, it’s never good to go cold in the fourth quarter.
“It is,” Highlands Ranch coach Mike Gibbs said. “In the fourth quarter guys get a little tight. We had good looks, we just couldn’t make baskets.”
By the time the Falcons starting hitting, Regis was just far enough out of reach to complicate things and force the fouls needed to get to the free throw line.
The Raiders went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe. After dropping their first two league games, this was a much-needed win for Shaw’s team. And with the postseason not far off, he knows they need to keep up the intensity and use each one to continue to get better as the season begins to wind down.
“Every win is important,” Shaw said. “But so is what you take with you. You’d obviously like to win a little more comfortably than that, but what it brought to us and what we can use for improvement is that we can play well in a tight game in a tight environment.”
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