CLASS 1A GIRLS BASKETBALL REGIONAL REPORT – FRIDAY
BY: KERRY SHERMAN
While three regions got things started yesterday, and will conclude today, the other five are about to get underway. By the end of the night, the first three members of the Great Eight will be known.
REGION ONE AT MCCLAVE HS
#1 MCCLAVE (21-2) VS #32 DEER TRAIL (10-12) 12:30PM
The defending champs enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak, and they held three of those five opponents to fewer than 20 points. That includes wins over Wiley (60-14) and Holly (66-11) last weekend. Abrielle Gomez went for 20 points, seven rebounds, and six steals in the first of those two, and Zoe Martinez led with 14 points in the latter. Deer Trail snapped a five-game losing streak with a 56-18 victory over Manzanola in its finale. Megan Donovan posted a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds, and Kylie Bryant had one with 12 points and 18 rebounds.
#16 GRANADA (14-8) VS #17 KIM/BRANSON (13-8) 11AM
The Lady Bobcats took a three-game slide into the regular season finale, which they won against Primero 68-28. Kim/Branson had a three-game winning streak ended in its final game by Springfield, 54-29. Granada owns a 46-26 win over the Lady Mustangs from three weeks back. The Lady Bobcats used a 17-4 second quarter to pull away in that one. Sorrel Mosimann led Kim/Branson with a dozen points in that loss.
REGION EIGHT AT CALICHE HS
#8 CALICHE (17-7) VS #9 CHERAW (21-3) 1PM
Caliche got off to a hot start against Peetz, and used a strong second half to pull away for a 64-37 victory over the Lady Bulldogs. It was their second win of the season against Peetz. For the sixth time in the last nine outings, Cheraw held an opponent to fewer than 20 points, as the Lady Wolverines rolled past Mile High Academy 48-15. Caliche and Cheraw will meet for the first time since the 2014 state quarterfinals. Caliche won that meeting and went on to finish second in the state to Norwood.
REGION FOUR AT STRATTON HS
#4 STRATTON (17-6) VS #29 PRIMERO (13-9) 4PM
Stratton is one of the hottest teams in the state as the postseason rolls around, with the Lady Eagles having won 10 straight. That includes a 62-53 win over Springfield last Saturday. Elle Bohnen recorded a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double in that victory. Camory Wedel hit five threes in finishing with 15 points, and Sophia Isenbart added 13 points, six assists, and five steals. Primero had won five in a row before its 68-28 loss to Granada last week. Alyvia Robinson finished the game with seven points and 10 rebounds. Elena Sandoval and Isabela Maldonado scored five points apiece.
#13 FLATIRONS ACADEMY (17-6) VS #20 GENOA-HUGO/KARVAL (12-11) 1PM
After picking up four straight wins, Flatirons Academy lost two of three in last week’s Mile High league tournament. The Lady Bison sandwiched close losses to Dayspring Christian (27-21) and Heritage Christian (35-24) around a 23-16 win over Lyons. Claire Friedman had 14 points in the victory. She was held to eight and nine in the losses. The Lady Pirates pushed Cheraw in the regular season finale, but came up just short, 36-35. They were aiming for a three-game winning streak. Amy James went for 11 points and seven rebounds in the loss.
REGION FIVE AT FLEMING HS
#5 FLEMING (17-5) VS #28 LONE STAR (8-13) 5PM
Fleming won the title of last week’s NCL/YWKC crossover, beating Otis, Idalia, and Caliche in the process. That put the Lady Wildcats into the postseason on a six-game winning run. The second game in that streak was a 61-27 win over Lone Star, in which Hadley Stull and Ciana Lousberg tallied 14 points and eight rebounds apiece. They also combined for nine assists and 11 steals. Lone Star got 13 from Aimee Trejo in that contest. The Lady Longhorns broke a five-game losing streak with a 52-50 victory over Otis for seventh place in the NCL/YWKC crossover. Jade Kuntz went for 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Peytyn Kuntz added 17 points.
#12 IDALIA (14-8) VS #21 WELDON VALLEY (13-10) 6:30PM
Idalia went just 6-5 in February, winning consecutive games only one time, but also losing consecutive games just once. The Lady Wolves went 2-1 in the NCL/YWKC crossover last week, beating Briggsdale 50-43, losing to Fleming 43-26, and beating Prairie 37-32. Ailyn Monarrez-Estrada put up 15 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals in the win over Briggsdale. Weldon Valley played in the round robin portion of the NCL/YWKC crossover and went 2-1. The Lady Warriors beat Arickaree/Woodlin (59-33) and Bethune (45-27), and losing to Peetz in between, 65-45. Gracie Eiring scored 17 and 16 in the wins. Skylar Scott had 15 in the loss.
REGION TWO AT EADS HS
#2 EADS (21-2) VS #18 KIT CARSON (14-10) 12PM
Reese Barnett scored 14 points, and Tailee Weeks-Johnson added 11, as Eads won its 13th straight contest, 64-20 over Miami-Yoder. Lexi Shotton and Anna Wollert both added eight points for the Lady Eagles. They’ll see a familiar face in the regional final, with High Plains rival Kit Carson manning the opposing bench. The Lady Wildcats got 16 points and 10 rebounds from Allyssa Gekeler as they dispatched Denver Jewish Day 51-38. Avery Johnson and Shay Rady added 14 points and six rebounds apiece. Eads beat Kit Carson 63-43 in league play just over two weeks ago. Wollert put together a monstrous outing, posting 27 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks for the Lady Eagles. Johnson led Kit Carson with 18 points and six rebounds.
REGION SEVEN AT PRAIRIE HS
#7 PRAIRIE (18-6) VS #10 SPRINGFIELD (19-5) 5PM
Early foul trouble plagued Prairie’s Hannah Kugler, but she erupted late to help guide the Lady Mustangs past the upset-minded Cheyenne Wells Lady Tigers, 41-34. Kugler finished with 25 points and 20 rebounds. Springfield needed no dramatics, as the Lady Longhorns put down Cotopaxi 61-18. This will be the first meeting between Prairie and Springfield in the MaxPreps era.
REGION THREE AT EVANGEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
#3 EVANGEL CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (20-2) VS #30 SOUTH BACA (10-12) 5PM
The Lady Eagles pushed their winning streak to six by beating Flagler (54-50) and Rangely (49-46) to win their own tournament last weekend. Reagan Schultz had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds against Flagler, and Mia Castro added one of 12 points and 10 assists. She was a steal shy of a triple-double. Castro had another monster effort against Rangely, going for 16 points, 12 steals, and eight assists. Schultz finished that game with 18 points and 10 rebounds. South Baca saw its two-game winning streak snapped in a 65-41 loss to Kit Carson in the regular season finale. Sarah Elmore put up 24 points, seven rebounds, and seven steals in the defeat.
#14 FLAGLER (16-6) VS #19 HI-PLAINS (11-12) 6:30PM
Flagler bounced back from its loss to ECA in the first night of last week’s tournament hosted by ECA and drubbed Cotopaxi 45-6 in its finale. Clara Hermes (15), Rylie Berry (13), and Lexi Witt (12) all went for double figures in that contest. Hi-Plains went 1-2 in the NCL/YWKC crossover last week, losing to Caliche (46-37), beating Lone Star (46-23), and falling to Briggsdale (37-32). The Lady Patriots lost an earlier meeting with Flagler, 47-31 on Feb. 6th. R. Berry led the Lady Panthers with 12 points, nine rebounds, and five steals, while Cambria Seaman had 14 points and 10 boards for Hi-Plains.
REGION SIX AT NUCLA HS
#6 NUCLA (21-2) VS #27 DE BEQUE (8-13) 4PM
For the second time this season, Nucla had a long winning streak snapped by Plateau Valley, as the Lady Mustangs had runs of 11 and nine straight games broken by the Cowgirls. They bounced back from the latter loss with a 45-14 victory over Dolores in the regular season finale. Lantry Galley led a balanced attack in that win with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Shay Snyder followed with nine points, and Darcy Bray stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals. De Beque finished the regular season with a 65-25 loss to Meeker, the sixth defeat in eight games for the Lady Dragons. Avery Rigsby went for nine points and nine rebounds in that loss. Nucla got a 45-18 win over De Beque in late January, with Snyder (14) and Galley (13) combining for 27 points. Rigsby had seven points and 11 boards for the Lady Dragons.
#11 BRIGGSDALE (17-6) VS #22 CREEDE (14-8) 12PM
After suffering a 50-43 loss to Idalia in the quarterfinals of last week’s NCL/YWKC crossover, Briggsdale bounced back with wins over Otis (63-40) and Hi-Plains (37-32) to finish fifth in the event. Claire Brown scored 23, 15, and 17 points in those three games. Bailey Loyd scored 24 against Otis. Creede rolled into last week’s Southern Peaks League tournament with eight straight wins, but the Lady Miners lost all three games in the tourney. They fell to Del Norte (48-13), Crested Butte (30-23), and Custer County (33-25). Ava Anderson averaged just under seven points in the losing streak.
MileHigh Prep Report 