As the regular season makes the turn and begins the journey down the homestretch, conference play takes over and brings with it many important match-ups. Even the few teams that venture out of league are still finding contests that are challenging.
One of those non-league games was played earlier in the week, as #5 Lone Star (7-1, 3rd RPI) hosted eighth-ranked Shining Mountain (9-1, 2nd RPI) on Tuesday. The game was nip-and-tuck throughout, but clutch free throw shooting propelled the Lions to the victory, 41-38, handing Lone Star its first loss of the season in the process.
That victory sends Shining Mountain into Thursday’s contest at Belleview Christian (10-2, 12th RPI) with momentum. The Lions already own a share of the 5280 lead, along with Flatirons Academy (7-5, 14th RPI) so a victory would keep them no worse than tied for the top spot. This will be the opener in league play for Belleview Christian, giving the Bruins, riding a nine-game winning streak, an opportunity to shoot to the top of the standings with a win.
Prior to the game on Tuesday, Shining Mountain was getting 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds a game from Lola Conaway, and 10.6 points and 6.6 boards from Kalea Zeender. Frances Hilliard was adding close to another nine points a contest. Zeender (2.9 steals) and Hilliard (2.8 steals) were combining for close to six steals a game.
Elaizha Nelson paces Belleview Christian at nearly 13 points a night, while Sara Torres adds just short of 10 a game. Both grab six boards a contest, and together, they average more than seven steals. As a unit, the Bruins record almost 20 steals a game. Freshman Jessica Aldstadt leads the team with five steals and five assists, while also giving the Bruins an additional seven points a game.
Belleview Christian, who already owns wins this week over Lotus School for Excellence and Addenbrooke Classical Academy, faces 5280 co-leader Flatirons Academy next Tuesday. Shining Mountain visits Beth Eden on Saturday and the steps out of league play next Tuesday, with a road contest at Evangelical Christian.
It’s a big weekend for the top teams inside the North Central, including top-ranked Briggsdale (9-0, 1st RPI). The Falcons own the lead in the NCL and they complete their first go-round in league play on Friday when they host Prairie (7-3, 24th RPI). Colin Nicklas’ team has only had two games decided by fewer than 20 points this season, a 54-36 win over Shining Mountain and a 65-47 victory over #3 Fleming (9-1, 9th RPI). Briggsdale will also host Caliche (2-9, 49th RPI) on Saturday. Earlier in the year, the Falcons defeated Prairie 66-32 to win the championship of the Prairie tournament. Kylie Krise had a season-high 25 points in that win. The sophomore is averaging 19.9 points a game on the year.
Prairie had a three-game winning streak snapped last Friday, as the Mustangs were handled 46-27 by #7 Merino (7-1, 8th RPI). Makayla Baker and Bobbie Schriener each had 11 for the Mustangs in the loss. Baker also had 11 in the first meeting with Briggsdale, while Cierra Hove added 10. The Mustangs, who are third in the NCL, turn around and host Fleming on Saturday. It will be the first of two league meetings between the squads.
Fleming has won six straight ahead of Friday’s non-league contest with Idalia (5-5, 22nd RPI) and the Wildcats are just one game back of Briggsdale in the league standings. The narrowest victory in that winning streak was a 15-point decision over Kiowa (4-4, 31st RPI) prior to the holiday break. Whitney Chintala (24), Kendyl Kirkwood (21), and Kally Kirkwood (13) combined for 58 points in Fleming’s 68-34 win over Stratton/Liberty (3-5, 40th RPI) last Friday. Together, that trio averages 47.5 points, close to 20 rebounds, 12 assists, and 12 steals.
Fourth-ranked Springfield (9-1, 4th RPI) pushed its winning streak to eight games with victories over Kim/Branson (5-4, 20th RPI) and Granada (3-8, 37th RPI) last week. The Longhorns remain tied atop the Ark Valley with #2 South Baca (8-1, 6th RPI), who picked up wins last week over Cheyenne Wells (2-6, 29th RPI) and Wiley (6-3, 13th RPI).
Springfield is out of league play for its only game this weekend, an interesting clash with McClave (8-2, 10th RPI). The Cardinals take a five-game winning streak into their High Plains league tilt with Eads (2-8, 46th RPI) after beating both Cheraw (5-5, 30th RPI) and Kim/Branson by 12 points last week. McClave will lean on the trio of Anna Beckett, Katie Roesch, and Maggie Chase, who combine to score 34 of the team’s 48 points a night. The Longhorns counter with an attack that sees seven players score at least 3.5 points, led by senior Julia Mondragon at 13.6.
South Baca’s high scoring quartet of Delaney Eskew (13.9 ppg), Alissa Hebberd (12.2 ppg), Patience Crane (10.0 ppg) and Alison Wilson (8.7 ppg) will try to keep their winning streak alive with games at Granada and Walsh (0-9, 52nd RPI) this weekend. The Patriots have not lost a game since falling in their season-opener.
Sixth-ranked Sangre de Cristo (5-2, 7th RPI) has had two weeks to recover after dropping consecutive games two highly ranked 2A foes. The Thunderbirds will return to action on Friday with a home contest against one of the top challengers in the Southern Peaks, Cotopaxi (9-2, 17th RPI). The lone scorer in double digits for Sangre on the season is junior Kylee Christensen, who averages better than 16 points a game. However, Mackenzie Rogers, Lexis Metz, Tori Ford, and Ashley Mortensen all score between 6.6 and 8.6 points a night, giving the T-Birds good depth on the offensive end.
Cotopaxi has won three straight since a loss to South Baca earlier this month. In that modest streak, the Pirates have outscored the opposition 161-45. Koylynn Gulliford draws a lot of attention from opposing defenses, as the junior leads the team with more than 16 points and eight boards, while also recording 3.6 steals and 2.2 blocks, but she is far from the only option for Cotopaxi. Shaelee Coleman and Claire Carlson both average just a tick below 10 points a game, while Sage Laymon and Annalise Walker combine for another 10 a night.
Antonito (6-6, 39th RPI) is one game back of the league leaders in the Southern Peaks, and the Trojans will get their shot at Sangre on Saturday. They picked up three wins in as many days last week, offsetting a three-game skid they had to begin the month of January. Shandiin Tallman tops the Trojans with 15.2 points and 5.1 steals, to go with 10.9 rebounds, while Shiinei Tallman adds 11.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 4.5 steals.
Moffat (7-2, 23rd RPI) and Sierra Grande (2-6, 38th RPI) are also tied with Cotopaxi and Sangre de Cristo atop the Southern Peaks and they square off on Friday. One of Moffat’s losses was suffered at the hands of Cotopaxi, 66-35, in the finals of a tournament at Cotopaxi in early December. The Cowgirls also own a key win over Antonito. Alyssa Hammel had a game-high 18 points in that victory. Sierra Grande is currently in the mix thanks to winning their last two games, both of which counted in the league standings.