Christmas comes a few days early for girls’ basketball fans across the state as the final week of the December schedule is filled with tremendous and interesting pairings. Games on tap this week include a rare battle of two number one teams and another and possibly two pairings of top ranked clubs against a number two program. In addition, there are several other top 10 matchups.
CLASS 1A
Top ranked Briggsdale heads to 2nd ranked Fleming on Friday in the first two North Central meetings between the rivals. They also collide in Briggsdale on February 1st and the two results should determine the top two spots in the league chase. That team could also land the top overall district tournament seed.
The Falcons and Wildcats met four times last year with each team winning twice. Briggsdale won the last game to win the third-place trophy at the state tournament. Both teams are expecting return visits to that event this year. Briggsdale is 4-0 and has scored at least 65 points in three of the wins. Fleming is 3-0 and is averaging 53.5 points per contest.
Youth is prevalent with both clubs as Briggsdale has just two seniors on the roster and Fleming is without one. Sophomore Kylie Krise leads the Falcons in scoring (21.5) and rebounding (8.8). She’s coming off a season high 25 points in last week’s win over Prairie and has pulled down 10 rebounds in each of the last three games. Junior Shelby Hoffman (13.0) is next scoring and adds three steals and four assists per game.
Sophomore Whitney Chintala (15.7) and junior Kendyl Kirkwood (15.0) basically share the scoring lead for Fleming. Chintala’s best total came in the opener against Haxtun where she scored 20. She’s also recording almost six steals per game. Kirkwood also averages seven rebounds per game and has double-doubles in two of the three contests thus far.
Freshmen have also played key roles for both clubs in the early going. Kally Kirkwood has averaged 10.7 points and 6 rebounds per game for Fleming. She’s also collected 15 steals. Briggsdale is getting solid play from both Payton Nicklas (8.3) and Macie Klem (6.0) who are averaging over 14 points a game. Both are also averaging over four rebounds per game.
The Lamar Holiday Tournament opens on Thursday and the eight-team bracket includes three in the latest top 10. And ironically, five-time defending tournament champion Kit Carson is not one of the team. The three-time defending state champions fell from the poll this week after losing their first two games. They’re seeded seventh in the bracket and will tangle with #10 McClave in the opening round. #6 Wiley and #8 Springfield are also in the field.
CLASS 2A
Three teams from the Lower Platte league are ranked this week and all three face strong challenges this week including a head-to-head battle between #3 Wray and #8 Holyoke on Friday. Also that night, #5 Yuma is home against Simla which enters the week #10 in Class 2A.
The Wray-Holyoke contest is a non-league affair as the Eagles and Dragons face off a second time on January 25th. While only the second game counts toward the league standings, this first game is a very indicator of where teams stack up against a top-level program and state title contender.
Holyoke will have two games ahead of their Friday clash with Wray as they head to St Francis KS on Tuesday and then host nearby rival Haxtun on Friday. The game with Haxtun is also a non-league game as they will play a second time after Christmas. It’s the same with Sedgwick County as the Dragons whipped the Cougars 63-36 but also meet them again in late January.
Sophomores are pacing Holyoke early as Kristen Vieselmeyer tops the team with 15 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game. Classmate Lauren Herman is next in both categories with 11 and seven. Vieselmeyer’s best effort came against Sedgwick County where she finished with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Herman totaled season highs of 16 points and 12 rebounds in a tough five-point win over Liberty Common on December 5th.
Wray went 2-1 at the Goodland Topside Classic last week. They lost to Colby KS in the opening round but responded with two wins to capture the consolation crown. Included in that run was a second win over Yuma (41-32). They had also topped the Indians 48-42 on December 7th. Their game with Holyoke is their only action of the week.
Five players score at least five points and grab three rebounds per game; a list led by sophomore Karly Godsey and junior Tabby Jones. Godsey is first in points (13.0) and second in rebounds (6.4). Jones is the best rebounder (7.4) and second in scoring (9.6).
Yuma, the two-time defending state champions, has stayed in the top five despite a rugged 1-3 start. As mentioned, two of those losses are against Wray with a third against McCook NE. Before facing Simla, they also tangle with 3A Brush on the road Tuesday night.
Simla jumped into the 2A poll thanks to their 19-point win over 1A power Merino (42-23) last week. The game marked the narrowest margin of victory through four games as the Cubs posted previous wins by 20, 20 and 50. Kaitlyn Rector scored 15 points with eight rebounds against the Rams while freshman Ryann Eurich added six points and 10 rebounds. Mercedes Smith added five assists and six steals.
CLASS 3A
Heavily favored to win a third consecutive state champion, St Mary’s is probably working through their most difficult stretch of the regular season. It began last Friday with a 50-31 win over #2 Pagosa Springs, continues Tuesday against #3 Lutheran on Tuesday and then closes on Thursday as they challenge Class 5A #1 Cherry Creek. Tuesday’s game also starts an interested
In the win over Pagosa Springs, St Mary’s led 23-16 at halftime and then scored the first eight points of the third quarter to take control. Seneca Hackley (15) and Josephine Howery (14) combined for 29 points with support from Ellie Hartman (8), Brooklyn Valdez (7) and Catherine Cummings (6). Pagosa picked up nine points apiece from Hailey Griego and Teagan Stretton with Taylor Lewis adding six.
The Pirates also rolled University 77-53 the next night as Coach Mike Burkett collected his 400th career win. Howery exploded for 31 points including four three pointers while Hackley (17) and Cummings (16) combined for another 33.
Lutheran enters the Tuesday clash with a perfect 4-0 record following a very impressive 54-32 win over Colorado Springs Christian. Stephanie Schultz topped all scorers with 16 points and Kaitlyn Kyle added 11. The Lions were 20 of 32 inside the three-point line but converted just four of 21 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Lions could also face #2 Pagosa Springs on Saturday so by the end of the week, they will know if they can contend for the state championship. Lutheran hosts their annual tournament this weekend and the Pirates are on the opposite side of the bracket. Pagosa Springs is favored against Olathe and Lutheran should get by Manitou Springs to set the stage for their championship battle.
Now for St Mary’s and Cherry Creek. The Bruins needed one more game to fill out their schedule and the Pirates willing jumped on board. It will be great competition and only help the Pirates as they continue their run for a third consecutive crown.
There is some familiarity between some players as Cherry Creek standout Cali Clark played her first two years at Lamar and helped the Savages win a state title as a freshman. Lamar and St Mary’s are in the same conference and faced off twice during that season (2016-17). Clark scored 22 points with 19 rebounds in the conference matchup and then finished with 14 and 10 in the district tournament game. St Mary’s won the first game but lost the second. Clark is averaging a double-double for Cherry Creek (4-1) with nearly 11 per game in both areas. The Bruins also feature Jana Van Gytenbeek with 17 points, seven assists and five steals per game.
#4 Delta also has a very difficult end to the December schedule as they meet #7 Alamosa on Friday and #6 Centauri on Saturday. The Panthers were upset by Vanguard (59-47) in their opener but have allowed just 30 combined points in recent wins over Faith Christian and Olathe.
Junior Keely Porter (16.7) leads Delta in scoring and is tied with Erika Kuta (8.0) for top rebounding numbers. Kuta is second in scoring with 10 and three others average at least five per game.
Alamosa was unbeaten until a 37-22 loss to Montrose in the finals of the Glenwood Springs Tournament last Saturday. The Pirates had scored at least 50 points in their three previous games and scored 11 in the first quarter against Montrose but managed just 11 over the final three periods. Centauri rolled to the La Junta Holiday Tournament title last week; outscoring Fowler, Sanford and Del Norte by a combined 77 points. They’re 6-0 but four of the wins are against 2A programs. They’ve also topped 4A Durango 61-32. Brenna McDaniel (15) and Mia Garcia (12) combined for 27 points against Durango. Courtney Hamilton (7) and Brynli Sowards (6) also totaled 13 rebounds.
