Denver South’s Timiya Guevara now holds the state record for 3-pointers in a girls basketball game.
The star senior, who is averaging 20.0 points per game, drained 15 shots from deep in her team’s win over Lincoln on Saturday.
Those 15 3-pointers broke the previous record of 12, set by Alamosa’s Emily Lavier on Jan. 18 last season. Lavier broke the record of 11 set just one day previous — by Guevara’s former South teammate Carly Dilworth.
She also scored 55 points in the game, which is the third-most in state history, trailing only Abby Waner (61 points for ThunderRidge in 2005) and Tracy Hill (59 points for Ridgway in 1983).
An honorable mention all-state selection in 5A last season, Guevara averaged 22.0 points, 6.3 assists, 5.8 steals and 5.8 rebounds per game as a junior. This season, she is averaging 20.0 points, 7.5 assists, 5.2 steals and 5.0 rebounds per game.
These aren’t Guevara’s first entries in the state record book. She scored 525 points in a season as a sophomore, which ranks eighth. That same season, she made 67.03% of her field goals, which is the sixth-best in state history.
Guevara also had a game last season where she made 20 of 23 free throws, which ranks among the top-10 in both free throws made and attempted in a game.
She has scored 1,695 points in her career, and has the potential to have a few more entries in the state record book. She already is among the top-15 in free throws made and attempted in a career, and sits just outside the top-5 in career assists. Career marks are updated at the end of each season.
GREENWOOD VILLAGE — When watching Julian Hammond III on the football field, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think he could earn his college education on the gridiron.
It’s the same feeling when watching Myles Purchase during a basketball game. The 2020 Class 5A football player of the year looks right at home on the hardwood.
Together, they’re on a journey to make sure each one has a state title in their respective sport. They’re halfway there after Creek beat Valor Christian for the 5A football title. With a 84-72 win over Smoky Hill on Friday, they’re another day closer to making the dream a reality.
“We both knew that this year that we’d have a good chance of winning in both sports,” Hammond said. “Both of us want to go out winning a football and basketball title and preferably do it without losing a game in either sport.”
(Dan Mohrmann/CHSAANow.com)
When the school year is over, both Hammond and Purchase will begin new journeys at their college of choice. Purchase will stick with football as he heads to Iowa State and Hammond will travel just up Highway 36 to continue his hoops career as he’ll play basketball at the University of Colorado for Tad Boyle.
Purchase had signed early and if he had wanted to, could’ve left for Iowa for the spring semester. But he and Hammond have been battling together since they were kids and he wasn’t about to leave his buddy behind.
“I feel like we’re a real special team,” Purchase said. “I feel like we can do something special and I wanted to stay and help my team win another ring.”
It helps that the Bruins are stacked with Divison I athletes on the basketball. Chase Penry is heading to CU to play football and Arden Smith will play football at Missouri.
Instead of leaving Creek behind at the winter break, they all wanted to be back on the basketball court to do something special.
“We have several kids that could’ve done that,” Cherry Creek coach Kent Dertinger said. “Chase Penry could’ve done that, Arden Walker could’ve done that. The fact that they wanted to stay and play basketball says a lot about them.”
In Friday’s win over Smoky Hill, Hammond led the Bruins with 24 points. Purchase added 16 and two other players are scored in double figures.
The regular season is set to wind down next week and then the next championship quest will begin for Hammond, Purchae and the rest of the Bruins.
They’re good about taking it one game at a time, but they can’t help but think about how much of an impact a basketball would have for Creek.
“It’s definitely going to add on to our legacy if we end up getting it done,” Purchase said. “I’m just trying to cherish these last few moments with my team.”
And then the legacy will be passed down to their little brothers. Blake Purchase and Christian Hammond are both sophomores and will look to build on what the big brothers built in their time at Cherry Creek.
Golden’s boys basketball team has picked the right time to be playing its best basketball of the season. The Demons — No. 10 in the CHSAANow.com Class 4A rankings — won their seventh straight game Friday night with a 61-49 home victory over No. 7 Evergreen.
“We are a young team. It’s coming together,” said Golden sophomore Aliou Diallo, who scored a game-high 17 points. “When we start hitting shots we are a scary team.”
The Demons are frightening young with no seniors this year. Despite the youth, Golden (10-2 record) has put itself in position for a home seed for the state tournament that begins Tuesday, March 9.
Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano (1) went over the 1,000-point career scoring mark Friday night. Lauritano had 15 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Cougars suffered a road loss to Golden. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“It would be awesome,” Golden coach Lou Vullo said of possibility having a home game to open the playoffs. “We could be dangerous.”
After back-to-back losses three weeks ago against Evergreen and Green Mountain, the Demons have been unbeatable. The Cougars (9-3) had already won the 4A Jeffco League title with a 7-1 conference record and having defeated Golden and Green Mountain during conference play.
However, the Demons jumped out to a 22-12 lead after the first quarter and never looked back on its home court Friday night.
“Our mindset was just to get revenge,” Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo said of facing Evergreen again.
Evergreen senior Griffin Lauritano led the charge for the Cougars in the second quarter cutting the Demons’ lead to 32-29 at halftime. Lauritano actually went over the 1,000-point career scoring mark in the second quarter. He finished with 15 points, but fouled out midway through the fourth quarter.
The start of the third quarter was key. Diallo drained a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the second half and sunk another basket in the first minute of the third quarter to extend Golden’s lead to 37-29.
“It was really big. We talked about it at halftime to come out focused like we were in the first quarter,” Diallo said.
Golden junior Richie Pruett rips down a rebound during the Demons’ 7th straight victory Friday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Senior Jackson Mott had 14 points for the Cougars, but Golden’s defense wouldn’t allow Evergreen to get within striking distance.
“We have really been focusing on defense,” Vullo said after the Demons held the Cougars to just six made field goals in the second half Friday night. “Our defense was pitiful at the start. We’ve started to pick it up a little bit.”
Juniors Zach Weiler had a driving layup and Logan Brewer made a pair of free throws to close out the quarter for the Demons.
“We preach to the boys that it is super important how you start and end the quarter,” Vullo said. “We started and ended that third quarter well.”
Vullo actually hit a milestone himself this week. He picked up his 250th career varsity high school coaching victory with Wednesday’s win over Conifer.
Golden is Vullo’s third career coaching stop. He spent five years at Sheridan, nine years at Pinnacle and is in his third season coaching the Demons. It’s likely Golden will make the 32-team 4A state tournament which would make Vullo 17-for-17 when it comes to qualifying his teams to the postseason.
Evergreen senior Jackson Mott (10) goes up for a shot over Golden junior Logan Brewer (35) on Friday night at Golden High School. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Golden is on the road against Green Mountain (Monday) and Littleton (Wednesday) to wrap up things before brackets for the state tournament are released on Monday, March 8. First-round games are scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 9.
“We feel hungry and we aren’t going to stop,” Acevedo said. “
Green Mountain (10-2) is also hot. The No. 12 Rams have won six straight games after taking an 88-25 victory Friday night against Alameda International. Green Mountain defeated Golden 63-50 back on Feb. 3.
“Monday is really important,” Diallo said of the rematch against Green Mountain. “That is another one we have marked on our schedule because the first time they took advantage of us.”
Evergreen is scheduled to close out its regular season at Standley Lake (Monday) and at home against Green Mountain (Wednesday).
Golden sophomore Alan Acevedo (30) drives the lane against Evergreen during the second half Friday night. Acevedo poured in 16 points, including four 3-pointers in the first half to help the Demons to a 61-49 victory over the Class 4A Jeffco League champions. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
