Broomfield – There are 46 girls in the Broomfield girls basketball program and coach Mike Croell played 15 of them, including 6-foot-6 freshman Anna Prins, in a 77-38 victory over Greeley West in Class 4A Northern League action Friday night.
Things, to say the least, are looking good for the Eagles.
Broomfield, No. 2 in The Denver Post/9News Class 4A poll, dominated the No. 5 Spartans, who beat the Eagles three times and ended their season in the quarterfinals a year ago.
Things, to say the least, were different this time.
“There was no need to rah-rah the girls. They were ready to go,” Croell said.
Junior Katie Calderwood propelled the Eagles to a 5-0 lead in the opening 20 seconds. Before the Spartans could get their footing, the score was 15-3.
“They left me open and I shot it,” said Calderwood, who had eight points. “Considering they beat us three times last season, it was a good start.”
Prins scored a team-high 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots for Broomfield (3-0, 3-0). Caitlan Stem had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Chaundra Sewell, a 6-foot freshman, banged inside for nine points and 10 rebounds.
Greeley West (1-1, 0-1) lost standouts Laura Engel (four points) and Sara Hemmings (three points) for much of the game, and maybe longer.
“We were hoping to run, but they took us out of our game plan,” first-year Greeley West coach Dave Kiser said. “They outsized us. They are going to outsize most teams.”
Senior Morgan Nickel came off the bench for Greeley West to score a game-high 16 points, but nobody else on the team scored more than five.
Prins was often double- teamed, but her height gave her first dibs on nearly every ball around the rim.
“Being so tall, I’m definitely a target,” Prins said. “We have a young team, but it really helps that we have juniors and seniors to look up to.”
Greeley West 10 10 10 8 – 38
Broomfield 23 13 19 22 – 77
Greeley West – Engel 1 2-4 4, Hemmings 1 0-0 3, Dusin 2 0-1 5, Harter 1 2-4 4, Ameling 0 0-0 0, Nickel 6 3-5 16, Schweers 2 0-0 4, Diaz 0 0-0 0, Tellez 0 0-0 0, Krammer 0 0-1 0, Harrington 0 2-2 2, Gerk 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 9-17 38.
Broomfield – Calderwood 3 0-2 8, Rhodes 2 0-0 5, Stem 5 2-4 13, Sewell 3 3-4 9, Prins 6 3-6 15, Gahnstrom 1 0-0 3, Davies 0 0-0 0, Geubelle 2 0-0 4, Ruger 2 0-0 4, Vue 1 0-0 2, Wasserman 0 1-2 1, Snow 4 0-0 8, Fankell 1 0-0 2, Ford 0 0-0 0, Biegner 1 0-0 3. Totals 36 9-18 77.
3-pt. goals – Hemmings, Dusin, Nickel; Calderwood 2, Rhodes, Stem, Gahnstrom, Biegner. Total fouls – Greeley West 13; Broomfield 19. Fouled out – None. Technicals – None.
