There’s a top 10 battle in Class 5A and several important conference matchups on the Thursday girls’ basketball schedule. The best league games are found in the 2A Lower Platte between Wray-Sedgwick County and in 3A between Academy-Bennett in the Frontier and University-Resurrection Christian in the Patriot. Grand Junction Central and Fruita Monument also tangle in the SWL.
Our daily report previews those contests and several more across the state. Final scores will be posted here and can be sent to us by text to 970.380.7737 or by email to [email protected].
Photo is provided by Steven Vetter / I-70 Scout
CLASS 1A
FINAL: #1 Briggsdale beat Wiggins 61-31
FINAL: #5 Flatirons Academy beat Dayspring Christian 52-10
NOTES: Briggsdale and Flatirons Academy are two highly ranked 1A clubs with Final Four and beyond aspirations this year. Each faces a quality 2A opponent this week but both are favored. Briggsdale (5-0) has outscored opponents by 181 points this year with quality wins over Haxtun (60-46) and Lone Star (61-41). They hit seven threes at Lone Star Tuesday with three coming from freshman Jenna Krise. Shelby Hoffman and Peyton Nicklas each added two. Those three led the scoring column as well with 18, 16 and 11 points respectively. Emily Johnson added nine rebounds. Wiggins opened 3-0 but has dropped back-to-back league games with Akron (42-35) and Wray (59-36). Sophomore Raelyn Koenig, with 8.5 steals per game, is a defensive whiz but also tops the Tigers with 15 points per game. Flatirons Academy dropped a two-point decision at Rocky Ford last Thursday but rebounded to score a crucial league win over Shining Mountain (53-42) two days later. That victory likely puts the Bison atop the 5280 standings at years end. Kenlee Durrill dropped in 23 points with 10 rebounds. Emma Cox added 12 rebounds and Savana Kascak five steals. Dayspring Christian (4-1) plays their first game away from their conference (Mile High). They’ve won three straight; beating Twin Peaks Charter, Dawson and Clear Creek over a five day span last week. Corrin Sides paces the offense with 15.6 points per game and is second in rebounds with 7.4. Aliya McClanahan is first in rebounding (8.0) and second in scoring (11.6).
CLASS 2A
FINAL: Sedgwick County beat #4 Wray 65-63
FINAL: #6 Rocky Ford beat Holly 53-21
#10 Lotus School vs Campion Academy
NOTES: Wray and Holyoke were the preseason picks to land the Lower Platte championship and both have done their part as they’ve combined for a 5-0 league mark and a 11-0 record on the season. Sedgwick County (5-0 overall) wants to join the group as they’ve also started 2-0 in the conference. They get a chance to make a first statement on the road this evening. League wins for the Cougars are against Merino (66-31) and Yuma (66-48). Sophomores Jensen Renquist and Kierra Ehnes each tallied 19 in the win over Merino with Renquist getting a trio of treys. Against Yuma, Renquist went for 25 and Alison Woodhams added 19. Renquist again hit three from beyond the arc while Woodhams added eight rebounds. Ehnes also snared eight rebounds and finished with 11 points. Wray of course is no stranger to big games as they routinely make the state tournament with titles on the resume. They’ve not been pushed in the fourth quarter the entire season; winning all five games by at least 17 points. Tabby Jones (12.2) has taken over the scoring lead through five games with Karla Godsey (11.6) also averaging in double figures. Godsey has 42 points in three league wins; Jones has 36. Rocky Ford-Holly is an important game concerning the top four spots in the Santa Fe. That league also includes #1 Rye as the favorite and Fowler who is off to a 3-0 league start. Rocky Ford is 1-0 with a dominating league win over John Mall (72-10). That lopsided win came at the right time for the Meloneers who had back-to-back battles with 1A ranked Flatirons Academy and McClave in the two previous games. Both were narrow wins; 39-37 over Flatirons and 56-48 in OT against McClave. Both games will get Rocky ready for future battles against Rye, Kit Carson and Sangre De Cristo to close the season. Abby Snyder was strong in both games; combining for 37 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and seven steals. Holly had just six girls on the roster to start the season and has struggled to a 1-4 start. Lotus (6-0) was probably a surprise entrant to the rankings this week but they’re strong pick to land the Confluence championship. Scheduling will hurt the Meteors in the RPI as their best win is likely against Ellicott (47-41). Amana Malki (24.2) and Kimberly Lagunes (16.6) provide almost all the scoring and each averages over nine rebounds and four steals per game.
CLASS 3A
FINAL: #2 Vanguard beat Colorado Springs Christian 62-24
FINAL: #3 Eaton beat Frontier Academy 59-21
FINAL: #5 Academy beat Bennett 55-44
FINAL: Lamar beat #7 St Mary’s 63-48
FINAL: #8 Platte Valley beat Sterling 63-47
FINAL: University beat Resurrection Christian 51-43
NOTES: Academy doesn’t get many challenges inside the Frontier conference but one may come tonight. Bennett has the most conference wins of any league team (3-0) and sits 4-1 overall. Academy is 2-0 in league action and outscored their first two opponents 141-54. That dominance has continued a trend set last year where the Wildcats easily rolled to the league title; basically unchallenged. Aryana Perez (24.0) and Mikylah Espinoza (15.5) are two very good guards for the Wildcats. Bennett’s lone loss is against Weld Central (51-28) but has won the last three; beating Pinnacle, Platte Canyon and Lake County. Baylie Voorhies (11.8) is their top scorer. Eaton (4-0) and Platte Valley (1-0) sit atop the Patriot and both are expected to stay there with wins this evening. Nakaiya Kuskie already has 16 three-pointers for the Reds and is second in scoring (10.8) and Ahana Leffler (11.0). Platte Valley used 16 points from Brooke Bunting; 13 from Cora Schissler and 12 from Bree Bunting in a very impressive league opening win over Brush Tuesday night. The Bunting sisters each hit three treys. University and Resurrection Christian (both 2-1) also play an important game with the winner staying within range of the Reds and Broncos. They’re both in the top 15 of statewide rankings as well so the outcome is also important to the state tournament bracket. Vanguard and St Mary’s have been dominant in league play as they continue working to their likely conference deciding tilt on March 1st. The two share first place with Ellicott. Vanguard has beaten La Junta, Salida and Manitou Springs by a combined 131 points and is averaging 74 points a game in doing so. St Mary’s has scored 84 points a game in trouncing James Irwin, Woodland Park and Banning Lewis. The average margin of victory is 66.
CLASS 4A
FINAL: #4 George Washington beat Thomas Jefferson 63-23
FINAL: Fruita Monument beat #9 Grand Junction Central 41-32
FINAL: Pueblo West beat Pueblo County 55-22
FINAL: Roosevelt beat Riverdale Ridge 82-40
FINAL: Berthoud beat Northridge 56-44
NOTES: The two ranked teams on the court tonight face longtime rivals in important conference matchups. George Washington (2-0) needs a win to keep pace with fellow DPL unbeatens Denver West and South while Thomas Jefferson (2-1) needs a win to stay within range of the league leaders. The Patriots are off to a hot 5-0 start thanks mainly to the play of sophomore Jaida Redwine who averages 21 points, six rebounds and six steals per contest. Thomas Jefferson has dropped their last two against Denver South and Denver East. The South loss was a non-league game as they face the Ravens again in eight days. Grand Junction Central cracked the 4A Top 10 and Fruita Monument is pushing for a spot in 5A so their two matchups should determine the SWL champion. Central won their first three games by at least 19 points but survived a road test at 3A Moffat County last Saturday; outlasting the Bulldogs 5-53 in overtime. The Warriors outscored the Bulldogs 26-20 in the second half to force OT. Stats for that game are not available but going in; Leah Redding led the Warriors with 18.3 points a game. She and freshman Brynn Wagner also combine for seven steals. Fruita is also 4-0 but plays at a slower pace. The Wildcats average just 33 per game and managed just 26 in the win over Durango last time out. The defense though is stout as they’ve allowed more than 26 points only once (Legend). Kyla Wells recorded seven steals in the win over Greeley Central. The Pueblo County-Pueblo West winner takes sole possession of the South Central lead. Both teams have won their first three games and have already created a two-game gap over all other league members. Juniors Gabby Louther (13.0) and Kate Gallery (11.5) are double-digit scorers for the Cyclones; County totaled just 21 points against Pueblo East on Monday but still scored an eight-point win. Separation atop the Longs Peaks standings continues tonight with games between Riverdale Ridge-Roosevelt and Berthoud-Northridge. Northridge scored a nice win over Roosevelt on Tuesday; keeping the Grizzlies in a first-place tie with Berthoud and Severance. Riverdale Ridge was blown out by Holy Family so both the Ravens and Riders need wins to stay close to the leaders.
CLASS 5A
#4 Regis vs #10 Vista Peak (PPD)
NOTES: Maybe Vista Peak was caught looking ahead to tonight’s battle last night as they were upset by Westminster 57-32 inside the East Metro. That loss will force the Bison to play catch up to 9th ranked Rangeview the rest of the way in that conference race. Now they must quickly regroup for an even bigger challenge tonight. Regis has different momentum as they took out #3 Highlands Ranch 58-53 on Tuesday to gain sole possession of the Continental lead. It moved the Raiders to 6-0 and likely up one more spot in the top 10 rankings due out on Monday.
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