CLASS 1A GIRLS BASKETBALL DAILY DIGEST – FEB. 23RD
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
We will have our first automatic qualifier for regionals by the end of the day, as District 3 has its finals and third place game on the docket. It’s semifinal action in the other tournaments that are being contested today..
DISTRICT ONE (ALL GAMES AT OLATHE HS)
Top-seeded Dove Creek will face #5 North Park in one of the two semifinals today, after the Wildcats upset #4 Caprock Academy 51-43 yesterday. This is the first meeting between the Lady Bulldogs and North Park since last year’s district tournament, which Dove Creek won 68-24.
Kylie Gatlin leads Dove Creek in scoring (16.8), steals, (4.2), and blocks (1.9), while twin sister Kalie is tops in assists at 4.9 per contest. Taylor Hampton averages just more than eight rebounds a night. For the Lady Wildcats, it’s Dezirae Gonzales standing atop every category. She’s averaging 22.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 4.6 steals, and just under a block per contest.
The other semifinal is a regular season rematch between #2 De Beque and #3 Nucla. Nucla won that first meeting late last month, 38-22, behind 10 points and seven rebounds from Kendra McCluer. Avery Rigsby had 10 points and two blocks for the Lady Dragons.
DISTRICT TWO (ALL GAMES AT LAMAR COMMUNITY BUILDING)
The finals for tomorrow are set after #1 McClave turned back a third challenge this season from #4 Kit Carson, 50-32, with Ashlynn Steinbrunn and Zoe Martinez each scoring 13 points. Emily Melgoza added 13. In the other semi, it was #3 Cheyenne Wells claiming a 49-47 victory over #2 Eads. Paige Ryser led all scorers with 25 points in the game for the Lady Tigers. Anna Wollert had 15 for the Lady Eagles, and Tailee Weeks-Johnson added 13.
While McClave and Cheyenne Wells slug it out for the automatic berth into regionals, Kit Carson and Eads will play for third place. All four are safely into the regional bracket, as they are all inside the top-12 of the CHSAA Selection and Seeding Index as of Friday morning. Granada and Cheraw are also safely into the next round of the postseason, as they are easily inside the top-32.
DISTRICT THREE (ALL GAMES AT LA JUNTA HS)
The first regional qualifying berth will go to either #1 South Baca or #2 Springfield. The Lady Patriots begin the day 13th in the Seeding Index, while Springfield is 15th, so the winner is in line to host a regional pod.
This will be the rubber match between the two this season, with Springfield taking a 48-35 win in the R.L. Ballard Invitational, and the Lady Patriots exacting a measure of revenge less than a month ago, 39-35. Lainee Leathers had a double-double of 14 points and 11 steals for the Lady Longhorns in the first meeting, and they had a huge rebounding edge of 55-22, with three players grabbing at least a dozen boards. Sarah Elmore (13) and Kate Elmore (11) combined for 24 points in the loss.
The sisters each had a double-double in the rematch, with Sarah posting 11 points and 15 rebounds, and Kate getting 10 points and 12 rebounds. Leathers led Springfield with 18 points in the defeat.
The district will also play a third place game and it will have huge implications. Kim/Branson is 28th in the Seeding Index, while La Veta is 32nd, placing the Lady Redhawks firmly on the bubble. These two met just about six weeks ago, with the Lady Mustangs earning a 36-20 win on the road. Ysabel Gonzalez led the way with a double-double of 11 points and 15 rebounds. Aspen Autry had eight points for La Veta.
DISTRICT FOUR (ALL GAMES AT NORTHEASTERN JUNIOR COLLEGE)
Jenna Krise powered Briggsdale to a 72-20 semifinal victory over #4 Weldon Valley on Thursday, scoring 39 points and grabbing more than 10 rebounds. That win earns the Lady Falcons a spot in Saturday’s final against #3 Prairie, who got 22 points and double digit rebounds for the Lady Mustangs in a 43-41 win over Fleming.
DISTRICT FIVE (ALL GAMES AT BRUSH HS)
Top-seeded Stratton looks to make it nine straight wins over #5 Otis, when the two meet in the semifinals on Friday afternoon. The Lady Eagles beat Otis 61-24 in the Akron Holiday Tournament, and 63-25 a week later. Sedonia Isenbart was huge in both games, scoring 24 points in each contest. Aedyn Tribelhorn had 10 in the first game for Otis and 11 in the rematch. Alli Hornung led the Lady Bulldogs in the first meeting with 12 points.
The early semifinal has #2 Idalia going up against #3 Hi-Plains. Idalia won a low-scoring contest against the Lady Patriots, 32-21, right after the teams returned from the Christmas break. Ailyn Monarrez had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Wolves, but she was lost for the season shortly after that game. Brigette Kite, Jaylyn Kechter, and Krista Wieser all had six points. Cloe Smith had seven points for Hi-Plains, and Caelan Church added six points and eight rebounds.
DISTRICT SIX (ALL GAMES AT CENTAURI HS)
In the semifinal on the top half of the bracket, #1 Sangre de Cristo takes on #4 Centennial. Sangre is the only lock from the district for the regional bracket, but starting the day at #17 in the Seeding Index, winning the tournament might not be enough to get the Lady Thunderbirds the right to host next weekend. The Lady Rams are well outside the top-32, so winning the tournament is their only hope at playing next weekend.
The Lady T-birds won a lopsided 54-14 contest at Centennial last month, getting double-doubles from Audrina Knorr (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Jaydra Cordova (13 points, 16 rebounds). Haylee Freel added a dozen points. Rhylina Serna had five points for the Lady Rams.
Both teams in the other semifinal are squarely on the bubble, with #2 Creede beginning the day 31st in the Seeding Index, and #3 Sierra Grande just one spot above the Lady Miners. Creede won the regular season meeting 54-41, thanks to a 17-3 first quarter. Lila Fairchild went for 30 points and 14 steals for the Lady Miners, while Jaylyn Quezada just missed a triple-double for Sierra Grande, finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds, and 10 steals.
DISTRICT SEVEN (ALL GAMES AT LIMON HS)
Kiowa (#1) gets its first postseason test in the semifinals against #4 Pikes Peak Christian. The Lady Indians led by 24 points going into the fourth quarter of their earlier meeting with PPC, finishing with a 55-37 victory. Paola Vidales led four Kiowa players in double figures with 14 points. Lauryn Moorehead (13), Jordan Perreault (11), and Rylee Wyer (10) joined her. Rebecca Thomas and Sarah Harris had 12 and 10 for the Lady Eagles, respectively.
The other semifinal will have #2 Genoa-Hugo/Karval squaring off against #3 Hanover. The Lady Pirates got 12 points from Amy James and 10 from Haley Ewing in a 45-23 victory over Hanover earlier in the year. Savanna Bannister led the Lady Hornets with 11. Lavana Sweazy was held to seven points in the loss.
As of Friday morning, three of the four semifinalists were in the top-32, with only Pikes Peak Christian on the outside at #33. Kiowa was the highest of the group at #15, but even winning the tournament could potentially drop the Lady Indians low enough to not host a regional pod next weekend.
DISTRICT EIGHT (ALL GAMES AT ENGLEWOOD HS)
The finals have been set for the better part of the week, with #1 Flatirons Academy meeting #2 Rocky Mountain Lutheran on Saturday. The third place game will feature #3 Front Range Baptist and #4 Mile High Academy.
Front Range Baptist is the only one of the four to be outside of the top-32 to start the day on Friday. The Lady Falcons were 35th. Flatirons Academy, sitting second, could lose the tournament championship and still host a regional, if one of the other seven district champs fails to finish in the top-16.
MileHigh Prep Report 