ARVADA — Monday night was a solid late regular-season benchmark game for two of the top Class 5A girls basketball teams in the state.
“I think we are trying to prepare as much as possible for the postseason,” Broomfield junior Brenna Fankell said of the matchup between two top-5 teams in this week’s CHSAANow.com 5A girls hoops poll. “Every game is a great challenge. We just try to go out and give it our best.”
No. 2 Broomfield traveled to Ralston Valley High School to face the Mustangs, No. 5 in the rankings. The Eagles (18-2 overall, 9-0 Front Range League) stretched their winning streak to 14 games with a 66-54 non-conference victory.
Broomfield never trailed while jumping out to a 12-0 lead in the first two minutes of play. The junior trio of Fankell, Maddie Kern and Brenna Chase sparked the Eagles early combining for 25 of 26 Broomfield points in the opening quarter.
“Ralston Valley throws a lot of bigs at her (Fankell). They have about four girls her size. She is tough and she can handle it,” Broomfield coach Mike Croell said of his 6-foot post player. “When she is active, fresh and really wants the ball she is tough.”
The Eagles’ pressure defense forced some early turnovers that Broomfield converted into some early fast-break baskets.
“I think that really helped us getting some early steals,” Fankell said. “We got up the court quick to get some layups.”
Chase ended with a game-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers. Fankell added 17 points and Kern finished with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
“Brenna Chase shot the lights out. Maddie Kern hit some big 3-pointers,” Croell said.
Broomfield’s largest lead was 25 points with 6:08 remaining in the third quarter.
“Broomfield came out hot and I’m not sure if my kids think we are a Final 4 type team yet,” Ralston Valley coach Jeff Gomer said. “We didn’t play with confidence early at all. Once we settled in we played pretty good.”
Broomfield held a 44-24 lead at halftime. Ralston Valley (14-5, 10-0 Jeffco League), which had its 10-game winning streak snapped with the loss, actually outscored the Eagles in both the third and fourth quarters.
Junior Hannah Weber scored all 13 of her points in the second half for Ralston Valley. Sophomores Sydney Prey (14 points) and Ashley Van Sickle (11 points) also finished in double-figures for the Mustangs.
It was the second meeting of the season between Broomfield and Ralston Valley. The Eagles took a 62-41 victory against the Mustangs at the Fairview Festival Tournament before the winter break. Senior Nicole Lehrer led the way for Broomfield with 26 points and four steals.
“It’s was a lot like the first time we played them,” Croell said. “We never could quite completely pull away. They have great guard play and they all shoot the heck out of it.”
Ralston Valley won’t have much time to refocus. The Mustangs travel to Lakewood High School to face the defending 5A Jeffco League champion Tigers at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“I hope some of this carries over,” Gomer said of Ralston Valley’s second-half exertion against Broomfield. “If the effort, intensity and speed carry over that’s what we want. I hope it carries over.”
Ralston Valley could pretty much lock up the conference title with a victory against Lakewood (14-5, 9-1) on Wednesday. A win would give the Mustangs’ a two-game lead over the Tigers with three league games remaining.
Broomfield, the 4A state runner-up last season, is back on the court Friday when it hosts Loveland. The Eagles have a one-game lead over No. 4 Monarch. Broomfield scored a double-digit win over Monarch a few weeks ago to take command of the 5A Front Range League.
“I think we love the challenge we have in 5A,” Fankell said. “We are just going to go with it and hopefully take it all the way.”
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