Pueblo – The McClave High School girls rolled to their third Class 1A state championship in a row and rewrote Colorado basketball history in the process.
The Cardinals’ 57-43 victory over Haxtun at the Colorado State Fair Events Center on Saturday extended their winning streak to 75 games, a record. The previous mark of 74 was set by the Machebeuf girls during the 1980-83 seasons.
“We refused to lose,” McClave point guard Josie Mallard said. “Nothing they did was going to stop us.”
McClave’s Mallory Cline, a 6-foot-4 post player who is headed to the University of Wyoming, was named tournament MVP for the second year in a row. She was unstoppable in the middle, scoring 23 points and snaring 13 rebounds.
“We were so focused as a team,” Cline said. “We know each other’s strengths and we step up for each other.”
The Cardinals, who finished this season with a 25-0 record, most recently lost in the 2003 state title game against Eads. Saturday’s championship game was McClave’s fifth title appearance in a row.
The Cardinals ran up a 13-5 advantage on balanced scoring in the first quarter and led 20-15 at halftime. Haxtun closed to 27-25 on a pair of free throws by Liz Fetzer at the 4:10 mark of the third quarter, but then Cline hit a basket and Jerrica Mallard, Josie’s freshman sister, scored on a drive.
“Kelsey (Tague) got in foul trouble and they made some runs at us,” McClave coach Dick Peecher said of Haxtun. “Their inside girls gave us a hard time. They gave us a battle.”
“We played great defense and that’s what turned the game,” Haxtun’s Kassie Kroeger said. “We scouted them and I just told myself I could do it.”
She and Kieley Wilson worked the inside against Cline, although Wilson drew two fouls in the first quarter. Wilson and Fetzer scored 14 points apiece as Haxtun ended its season at 22-4.
Bulldogs coach Monte Green said at the start of the tournament his players had dedicated themselves after losing in triple overtime in the 2005 district semi- finals, missing a trip to state. The Bulldogs’ run took them as far as a runner-up finish Saturday.
“Once we got that 10-point lead, I thought we’d be OK,” Peecher said of a 39-28 advantage with 7:08 remaining. “Kelsey and Mallory just play so well together.”
1A girls
All tourney
Josie Mallard, McClave, Sr.
Kelsey Tague, McClave, Sr.
Kieley Wilson, Haxtun, Sr.
Liz Fetzer, Haxtun, Sr.
MVP
Mallory Cline, McClave, Sr.
Haxtun 5 10 13 15 – 43
McClave 13 7 12 25 – 57
Haxtun – Green 0 2-2 2, Dishman 1 2-2 4, Kroeger 2 1-3 5, Fetzer 4 6-7 14, Wilson 6 2-2 14, Widgery 2 0-0 4. Totals 15 13-16 43.
McClave – Tague 0 2-2 2, Jo. Mallard 1 1-3 3, Curry 1 4-4 7, Tague 7 1-1 15, Je. Mallard 3 1-8 7, Zamora 0 0-1 0, Cline 9 5-8 23. Totals 21 14-27 57.
3-point goal – Curry. Total fouls – Haxtun 20, McClave 16. Fouled out – None. Technicals – None.
