LAKEWOOD — Green Mountain is heading back to a third straight trip to the Elite 8 of the Class 4A girls basketball state tournament.
However, it wasn’t easy.
The No. 6 Rams needed to mount a comeback in the second half Tuesday night against a gritty No. 11 Northridge squad at Green Mountain High School.
“Northridge runs their stuff very well. They are a really hardworking group of girls,” Green Mountain coach Darren Pitzner said. “Man, I’m really proud of our kids.”
The Grizzlies led 37-29 thanks to an 8-0 run to start the second half. Senior Seneya Martinez scored all eight points in 1 minute and 40 seconds at the beginning of the third quarter, but Green Mountain dominated the fourth quarter outscoring the Grizzlies 28-9 to take a 69-56 victory.
Green Mountain earned a road trip to face No. 3 Holy Family in the state quarterfinals on Friday, March 4. The Tigers defeated Skyview 54-41 in another Sweet 16 game Tuesday night.
“I don’t think we were nervous. We just started rushing,” Green Mountain junior Jayda Maves said about the start of the second half. “Once we got back into our groove were were able to get it back.”
Maves was key hitting three 3-pointers in the third quarter to keep Northridge (21-4 record) from grabbing a double-digit lead. Still, the Grizzlies led 47-41 heading into the fourth quarter.
Green Mountain started the final quarter on a 17-2 run. Maves went over the 20-point mark for the 16th time this season, finishing with 21 points that included five 3-pointers.
Senior Avery Oaster, who missed time after suffering an ankle injury late in the second quarter and didn’t score in the third quarter, finished with a game-high 24 points while scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter.
“She (Oaster) was unbelievable,” Pitzner said. “She was an absolute monster.”
Oaster had three made baskets in the fourth quarter where she was fouled. She converted on all 3-point plays while dominating inside the paint.
“During the fourth quarter with those and-one’s adding up really build up our energy,” Oaster said. “I think it scared Northridge a little bit.”
The large Green Mountain crowd has to be a little scared when Oaster started the second half on the bench, but the senior captain didn’t doubt she would get back on the court.
“I knew deep down that I’d be able to go back in,” Oaster said of the ankle injury. “I’m not a person to sit out no matter the pain. I knew I had to be there for my team.”
The fourth quarter saw a bit of everything. From play having to be stopped because of blood on the court, to technical fouls on both teams after a bit of a shoving match broke out, to more than 50 fouls being called during the entire game.
Green Mountain took advantage of the Grizzlies having four players foul out in the second half. The Rams were 13-for-17 from the free-throw line in the final quarter. While Green Mountain’s defense held the Grizzlies to nine points in the final eight minutes.
“We finally amped up the defense,” Pitzner said of the fourth quarter. “We finally had the urgency that we need to play with for 32 minutes. When we were down I heard Mo (Morgan Falconer) say we don’t want this to be our last game.”
It wasn’t the last game for Green Mountain (23-2). The Rams face the same school that ended Green Mountain’s season two years ago. Holy Family defeated Green Mountain 38-31 at the Denver Coliseum in the 4A state semifinals.
“Their size will be really, really tough,” Pitzner said of the Tigers. “Holy Family is a tall task. There will be some late nights and early mornings getting our girls ready.”