Aurora – There is no debate. Regis is for real.
In a rematch between Class 5A’s No. 1 and No. 2 girls basketball teams, the Raiders traded blows with defending state champion Highlands Ranch from the opening tip Tuesday night. But top-ranked Regis, with three players scoring in double figures and a fourth swatting shots left and right, exited the home court with a 65-57 Continental League victory in front of a standing-room-only crowd.
Afterward the Raiders (18-1, 8-0 league), the 4A runners-up a year ago, felt on top of the world. Or at least on top of 5A.
“We’re No. 1. That’s all we can ask,” Regis sophomore sharpshooter Meghan Winters said.
Added sophomore teammate Diana Rolniak: “Now it’s undisputed. We’re coming out and saying that we’re here and we’re here to stay.”
Winters put on a stellar performance, hitting 5-of-6 shots from 3-point range and finishing with 24 points. T’Keyah Shealy scored 14 points and Mindy Nielson, Regis’ lone senior, added 12 more to go with 10 rebounds.
Rolniak was a force underneath the basket with five blocked shots and six rebounds.
Regis, in only its fourth year with a girls program, has had an unbelievable season to this point. The Raiders have beaten the Falcons twice, and the list of other victims is a virtual who’s who of the top girls prep teams in the state: ThunderRidge, Horizon, Mullen (twice), Arapahoe and Heritage, to name a few.
Tuesday’s game opened with a hectic pace. There were seven ties or lead changes in the first quarter before Regis pulled ahead by eight points in the second quarter. But Highlands Ranch, winner of four of the past seven state titles, battled back and trailed by a point at the half.
The Falcons opened the third quarter inspired, and Jaclyn Thoman hit back-to-back 3- point shots that catapulted Highlands Ranch into the lead. The Boston College-bound senior hit five 3s in the second half.
“It felt like we turned the corner,” Thoman said. “We wanted to start the game over and act like that was the first quarter.”
Thoman finished with a game- high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Alyssa Fressle added 13 points.
Regis led 44-41 heading into the fourth quarter and stretched its lead to 11 points.
Highlands Ranch 10 16 15 16 – 57
Regis 14 13 17 21 – 65
Highlands Ranch – Fressle 5 3-6 13, Tsukamaki 0 0-0 0, Thoman 10 2-4 27, Ryba 5 1-1 11, Davis 2 0-2 4, Burke 0 0-0 0, Fulps 1 0-0 2, Breidel 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 6-13 57.
Regis – Williams 2 2-4 6, Rolniak 1 1-6 3, Shealy 5 4-9 14, Winters 9 1-1 24, Nielson 4 4-6 12, Bokenkamp 3 0-0 6, O’Dorisio 0 0-0 0, Roben 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 12-26 65.
3-point goals – Thoman 5; Winters 5. Total fouls – Highlands Ranch 14, Regis 15. Fouled out – Williams. Technical – Thoman.
