Class 2A girls’ basketball teams head to the second round on Thursday with winners reaching the Great 8 tentatively set for Saturday. The top eight seeds are well rested as they’re coming off byes in the first round while their opponents will be playing their second game in three days.
Preview of each matchup are below and they are presented in bracket order. Colorado Preps will track all scores in Girls’ basketball scoreboard. In-game updates and final scores can be sent to us by text at 970.380.7737
Photo by OT Sportschek.
#1 Holyoke vs #16 Lotus School for Excellence
There are two unbeaten teams left in the classification and they will meet in the Sweet 16. Lotus School for Excellence picked up a 52-29 victory over #17 Hotchkiss on Tuesday behind a double-double from Kimberly Lagunes (14 points, 10 rebounds). The Meteors have now outscored their opponents 782-316 on the season. Lagunes averages 16.7 points a game, second on the team to Amana Malki’s 23.0 points. Holyoke has its own dynamic duo in Kristin Vieselmeyer (20.9 points, 11.1 rebounds) and Lauren Herman (12.5 points, 10.4 rebounds).
#8 Wray vs #9 Sedgwick County
With four LPAA teams in the bracket, there was a good chance that two would meet at some point. Thanks to a 65-63 win in the regular season meeting, Sedgwick County finished second in the league, behind Holyoke. The Cougars had four players in double figures in that contest, led by Allison Woodhams with 19 points. Ashley Rahe (17 points), Kierra Ehnes (15 points), and Jensen Renquist (12 points) were the others. Wray got 20 points out of Karly Godsey, while Taby Jones turned in 16 points and 17 rebounds. Sedgwick County moved past #24 Peyton 50-39 in the opening round.
#5 Rocky Ford vs #12 Ignacio
All five starters for Ignacio average between 6.6 points and 12.3 points a game on the season, led by senior Jayden Brunson. The Bobcats pulled away from a 22-20 halftime lead to down #21 Hoehne 48-32 on Tuesday. Rocky Ford dropped two straight before closing out the regular season with a 48-43 win over 1A Sangre de Cristo. The senior dominated Meloneers are led by Abi Snyder, who pours in 18.6 points a game, and is among the state leaders in steals at 4.6 a contest.
#4 Rye vs #13 Burlington
Burlington picked up its first tournament victory since 2009 by defeating #20 Center 67-51 on Tuesday. Trinity Perry, who averages close to 19 points on the season, recorded a triple-double of 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 steals, and enters Thursday’s game just three steals short of 300 for her career. Trinittee Holmes added 16 points, and Triniti Scott chipped in 14. The Thunderbolts ride a nine-game winning streak into the home contest, and they boast three top-notch scorers of their own. Senior Jolee Ortiz leads the way at just over 14 points a night, while twin sisters Sophie Adamson (13.9 ppg) and Sydney Adamson (11.9 ppg) combine for almost 26 a game.
# 2 Cedaredge vs #15 Del Norte
Cedaredge has the fourth longest winning streak in the field, bringing six straight victories into the contest with the Tigers. The Bruins have solid balance, with four players averaging better than eight points a game. Kammie Henderson is tops among that group at 13.8 points a night, followed by Megan Gastineau (9.8), Elizabeth Gilmore (8.6), and Paige McGovern (8.2). Each member of that quartet averages three or more steals a contest. All five of Del Norte’s losses were to playoff teams, three of which are still alive. The Tigers outscored #18 Plateau Valley 15-4 in the fourth quarter on Tuesday to claim a 47-37 victory. Kaeci Madrid pumps in 17.1 points a night, more than the next two Tigers combined.
#7 Heritage Christian vs #10 Limon
Limon dropped three games in the regular season and all three of those opponents (Kit Carson, Wray, Holyoke) received first round byes. The Badgers rolled to a second straight win in the opening round, posting a 77-47 home win over #22 Gilpin County. There’s a big drop off in production behind junior Trista Marx, who contributes 16.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.9 steals a game. No one else even averages six points a night, but nine players do score at least two a game. Heritage Christian has been one of the most consistent programs under head coach Joe Packard and the Eagles come in having dropped their most recent outing. That 58-52 loss against Resurrection Christian snapped a 13-game winning streak, and marked the second-fewest points by the Eagles this season. Three players average double digit points, with a fourth not far behind. Kali Siemers has been a standout at more than 22 points a night and Avery Hughes chips in just over 19.
#3 Sanford vs # 14 Olathe
Sanford enters the Sweet 16 winner of two straight, following its lone loss of the season to 3A Centauri (64-45) two weeks ago. The Indians won five meetings with other postseason qualifiers, and outscored opponents 823-394 this season. Juniors Cheyenne Caldon (12.2 points) and Asia Caldon (11.9 points) lead the team in scoring. Olathe seemingly played a postseason qualifier every night, with the Pirates posting a 4-4 mark in those games. Their 56-52 win over Sargent on Tuesday was their second straight in the victory column, and the fourth in five contests. As a team, Olathe averages just under 38 points a night, with 12.2 coming from senior Mariah Garcia.
#6 Paonia vs #22 Yuma
Yuma definitely caught Paonia’s attention, as the Indians, who entered the postseason with only four wins, were the only underdog to win in the opening round. The Indians upset #11 Soroco 46-44 to advance to the Sweet 16. Ema Richardson put the team on her back down the stretch of the regular season as she scored 77 points in the final four contests, including a career-high 36 in a win over Wiggins. She averages 13 points and nine boards a night for the squad. Paonia showed a level of comfort in close games, going 5-2 in contests decided by single digits. The losses were to Plateau Valley and Cedaredge, both of whom made the postseason. Payton Fister churns out 12.6 points and nearly four steals a game to pace the Eagles.
