There are five top 10 matchups on the girls’ basketball Saturday schedule and two of them are very important to league championship races. Briggsdale and Fleming collide in the 1A North Central while Sanford and Del Norte also do battle in the 2A Southern Peaks. A third conference game is between #3 Cherry Creek and #8 Cherokee Trail in the 5A Centennial. Non-league games that fit that mold include Springfield-Kit Carson in Class 1A and Merino-Limon in a crossover game in 1A/2A. We preview them and more in our top games story of the day.
Fleming at Briggsdale: The outcome will determine if the two teams share the 1A North Central title or if Briggsdale wins it outright. The Falcons have a one game lead in the race following a 65-47 win in the first matchup but the Wildcats played that game without starting guard Whitney Chintala. She averages a team-best 18.3 points on the season. Kendyl Kirkwood adds 18 points and 11 rebounds while younger sister Kally chips in 11 points and nearly six rebounds. Briggsdale is facing their third opponent in three days but was not pushed in the first two beating Front Range Baptist and Otis by a combined 78 points. Kylie Krise leads the Falcons in scoring (20.3) and rebounding (7.2). Shelby Hoffman is next with 15.5 points while the trio of Payton Nicklas (9.1), Macie Klem (5.8) and Makennah Tucker (5.7) also contribute. Briggsdale is 12-0 and ranked #1 with Fleming at 12-1 and ranked #3.
Kit Carson at Springfield: A second top 10 clash in the 1A division is a non-conference game but one that could impact regional seeding. Springfield sits fourth in the rankings this week with Kit Carson ninth. Springfield knocked off the three-time defending state champions 36-27 as part of the Lamar Tournament in December. In game one, Kylie Parks led the Longhorns with 12 points and Julia Mondragon added nine. Kit Carson picked up nine from Faith Johnson and six from Stephanie Framel. Neither team shot the ball well from the outside as the Wildcats were 2-9 from the arc and the Longhorns 2-18. Since that loss, Kit Carson has won their last eight. Framel (10.2) is their top scorer and Reyna Isenbart their top rebounder (9.3). She also chips in seven points a game. Mondragon tops Springfield in both categories with nearly 14 points and seven boards a game. Alexis Crane (8.7) and Parks (7.8) are next in line in scoring.
Del Norte at Sanford: The first of two games in the 2A Southern Peaks that will likely determine the top two spots in the conference race. Del Norte is ranked fifth and Sanford seventh coming in. The San Luis Valley rivals played five times a year ago; splitting the first four matchups before Del Norte grabbed a 44-27 win in the state tournament’s third place game. This year, Sanford is 8-4 but all three losses are against teams ranked in the top five of Class 3A (Pagosa Springs, Centauri & Alamosa). They’ve captured four straight wins including a 55-8 drubbing of Custer County Friday night. Del Norte’s (10-1) lone loss is against Centauri and they’ve won six in-a-row. They’re also coming off a win of Custer County (62-24) last Saturday. Kendra Parra (21.5) leads the Tigers in scoring and adds five steals a game defensively. Sanford is very balanced with four players scoring between five and nine points a game. Mackenzie Peterson tops that list with 9.4 points and also leads the Indians in board with five a game.
Merino at Limon: This matchup lost a bit of luster following Merin’s 38-26 loss to Sedgwick County on Friday but it’s still a game of top ten teams from two different divisions. Limon tops the 2A poll this week with Merino sitting at number six in Class 1A. The loss for the Rams was their second on the season. The first came before Christmas is a 42-23 setback to 2A Simla. Limon has also played the Cubs; beating them 49-40 on the road earlier this week. Trista Marx poured in 18 points in that win and finished off the double-double with 11 rebounds. Taysa Conger averages a double-double for Merino with 14.8 points and 10 rebounds per game. Hannah Pejsa-Stegner (13.5) and Rylyn Nelson (10.0) also contribute offensively for the Rams.
Middle Park at Arrupe Jesuit: Middle Park needs a win to keep pace with highly ranked Academy atop the 3A Frontier race. Arrupe Jesuit was also unbeaten and part of the first-place mix before Tuesday’s loss to DSST-Montview (32-21). Now the Generals are a game back and tied with Montview and Platte Canyon in third place. Isabelle Trujillo (14.2) tops the Arrupe Jesuit scoresheet and she ended up with 12 of the team’s 21 points against Montview. Middle Park’s top player is Katie Trail with team leading averages of 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds. She had a season high 19 in their most recent win over Lake County (44-8).
Platte Valley at Vanguard: An attractive non-league matchup of two very talented but young basketball teams. The result could also impact the state tournament bracket as Vanguard is #3 in RPI and Platte Valley #10. Combined they are combined 25-4 on the season. Junior Alexis Garcia leads Vanguard in scoring (15.1) with the freshman duo Hailey Blanchard (12.8) and Julianna Garcia (10.8) second and third. Senior Cortney Arasmith pulls down nine rebounds a game. Sophomores Cora Schissler (14.5) and Brooke Bunting (12.2) leads Platte Valley in scoring. Freshman Bree Bunting (9.5) and Andi Schissler (7.2) combine for nearly 17 a contest. Both teams played on Friday with Platte Valley dumping Estes Park 53-40 and Vanguard taking out Florence 49-26.
Durango at Montrose: With both teams at 2-0 in the 4A/5A Southwestern league, the winner will take the outright lead very early in the conference race. Both teams lead Fruita Monument (2-1) by one game. Montrose has more wins overall (14-11) but Durango won the first meeting 35-33 as part of a tournament in early January. This will be the first of two conference pairings. Emma Fitzgerald led the Demons in the first win; scoring 13 points with seven rebounds. Maddy McManus added eight points and four rebounds. Montrose did not get a player to double figures but Josie Eccher and Jaycie Casebolt both chipped in eight. Casebolt also added eight rebounds. Both teams are 4-1 since that meeting with Durango collecting an impressive 41-26 conference win over Fruita Monument. Montrose has beaten Grand Junction Central (46-30) and Grand Junction (27-20) in league action.
Lakewood at Valor Christian: Each team has only played two conference games but these are the last two unbeatens in the 5A Jeffco. They lead four other teams by one game very early in the race. Despite the identical league marks, Valor Christian (15-1) is heavily favored over the 6-8 Tigers. The Eagles are coming off a strong 78-41 blowout of Ralston Valley earlier in the week. Raegan Beers tallied 21 points and Jenna Siebert 17 as Valor shot 60 percent from the field (30-50). Lakewood has beaten Dakota Ridge (56-36) and Arvada West (56-50) in Jeffco action. They’re led by Nadia Trevizo-Medina (14.9 points).
Cherry Creek vs Cherokee Trail: The Bruins are #3 in Class 5A and the Cougars #8 but they’re separated by three games in the Centennial chase. The Bruins are 6-1 and must win to stay within one game of first place Grandview (7-0). Cherokee Trail (3-4) is one game of Arapahoe in the race for fourth. Creek won the first conference game easily (78-41) as four players reached double figures. Jana Van Gytenbeek had 19, Abby Wrede 16, Cali Clark 11 and Carly Thompson 10. Makayla Hemingway (23) was nearly half of the Cougars offense.
