There’s something to be said about having a couple of tough games in the first rounds of the state basketball tournaments.
In Colorado’s small-school girls brackets last weekend, there were certainly a number of tightly contested matchups in which some squads prevailed in dramatic fashion. For those teams, performing in the clutch might make the difference when the spotlight shines upon them in bigger venues over the next rounds.
While the three top seeds in Class 3A, 2A and 1A – Resurrection Christian, Merino and McClave – all skated through regional play with relative ease, here’s a look at some teams who had notable challenges last weekend, and what it’ll take for them to continue moving forward this week.
Class 3A
Denver Christian: The Thunder (24-1) escaped a valiant effort from St. Mary’s (16-9) at home Saturday, winning 55-52 to extend its win streak to 17 straight games. Denver Christian takes on Salida in the first round of Great 8 play at the University of Denver, and it’ll be senior Kamiree Fuller (15.5 points per game) and junior Natalie Bohannon (12.9 ppg) looking to carry the team offensively while seeking its first state title. While not a scorer, senior Fabiana Genc has provided several other vital statistics including 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.7 steals per outing. Noelani Book and Anna Everett also look to provide strong minutes in the three-games-in-three-days event.
Strasburg: Taryn LaForce (17 points) and Peighton Marrero (16 points) were the catalysts of an Indians’ 59-57 win against Roaring Fork on Saturday afternoon at SHS, combining to hit 15 of their 27 shots from the floor to give Strasburg (16-9) an opportunity to play top-seeded Resurrection Christian on Thursday. Strasburg is just 2-6 all-time against Rez, but it did pull out a 67-63 overtime win on Jan. 24. Marrero scored 25 points in that one, and the Indians won despite hitting just 2 of 19 3-point attempts. If Strasburg can dominate the boards as it did on Jan. 24, an upset could be in the making.
Class 2A
Akron: As noted last week, Akron (15-10) had a lot of close losses to good teams this season. So it was not a surprise to see the Rams give Rangely a run for its money and end up winning. However, it might have been a little shocking to see such a dominating performance against the host Rangers, who were undefeated, in a 52-29 final. Battle-tested, No. 13 Akron faces a familiar team in No. 5 Burlington in the first round Thursday. All freshman Molly O’Neil knows about the rivalry is the Cougars took a 50-45 win against her team on Jan. 17 — a contest in which she was held to just eight points — but she has no doubt grown in her game since then. The Rams and Cougars have traded wins against each other the past six matchups since 2014.
Sargent: Points were tough to come by Saturday as the Farmers (20-5) defeated Heritage Christian, 36-30, but sophomore Kandace Pargin notched 17 points to help the home team defend its court in regional play. Up next is No. 1 Merino, which won’t be easy. But, Sargent has played some good teams close this season, including No. 2 seed Sanford and 3A’s No. 4 seed Cedaredge. Without a single senior on their team, the Farmers have a lot of hope for the future, but even as soon as Thursday could gain some valuable experience with a nothing-to-lose attitude.
Class 1A
Briggsdale: The Falcons defended home court, winning two regional games by a combined 10 points. Saturday’s championship game against Caliche ended up closer than desired thanks to a strong fourth quarter from the Buffaloes, but ultimately it was Kayl Klem’s 13-point, 7-rebound, 7-steal effort that kept BHS (18-6) going. The reigning 1A champs face Eads on Thursday, and junior Claire Brown (14.4 ppg) will look to continue getting back in game mode after missing most of February.
Hi-Plains: The Patriots (17-8) pulled away from De Beque late Saturday at home, outscoring the visiting Dragons 19-12 in the fourth quarter to win the 8-vs.-9 matchup. Another very young team, with only one full-time senior on the roster, Hi-Plains is tasked with playing McClave in the quarterfinals. But the team has stayed competitive throughout almost all its losses and is allowing just 31.5 points per game, signifying discipline on defense that can provide an upset at any time. Having led the team in scoring most of the year, freshman Cambria Seaman will be looking to bounce back from a couple of single-digit scoring games.
