Regis has a full house, but Legacy owns the wild card in Melissa Jones.
The well-rounded Raiders have put together a thrilling season and don’t want it to end today in Boulder against Jones and the Lightning in a Final Four matchup in Colorado’s upper-class girls basketball tournament.
Equally, Jones isn’t ready for her stellar Class 5A career to end. Baylor University can wait.
“On paper, they look a little better than us. But paper doesn’t win games,” Legacy coach Jody Welch said. “Melissa realizes that this is it for her high school career. This is a time when leaders need to lead, and she is rising to the occasion.”
Jones is making a run up the list of the state’s all-time scorers and has turned into a fearless leader at both ends of the court. She has surpassed 30 points in four of the past six games, including the season-high 37 she scored against Air Academy in the state quarterfinals.
She also leads younger teammates such as Quincey Noonan and Mara Cosgrove, who have stepped into major roles.
Regis is loaded, from post player and shot- blocker Diana Rolniak to point guard and ankle-breaking dribbler Mariah Williams, and everywhere in between.
“They have all the ingredients,” Horizon coach Mike Carey said of the Raiders.
Regis and Legacy each made school history by reaching the 5A semifinals but may not prove to be the best pairing – there’s also defending champion Highlands Ranch against two-time runner-up Horizon.
Last season’s winner has been inspired by the arrival of the postseason. Boston College- bound Jaclyn Thoman, Alyssa Fressle and Jade Davis have helped the Falcons outscore three playoff opponents by an average of 33 points. Horizon has relied more on its two guards, Cherae Medina and Nikki Trujillo, with the opponents’ primary focus on Hannah Tuomi, a rebounding machine.
“(Hannah) is a tough girl and I’m sure she’s going to start stepping up her game,” Carey said.
In 4A, Glenwood Springs, which plays Harrison, has won 13 of its past 14 games and earned its first trip to the Final Four. First-year coach Bryan Derby said Glenwood Springs’ secret to success was simple.
“We started clicking once we realized that it took the whole team to win basketball games, not individual efforts,” Derby said.
After knocking off reigning 4A state champion Mullen in the Sweet 16 and handling Sierra in the quarterfinals, Berthoud has a rematch with Broomfield, the undisputed No. 1 team all season, for the second time in three weeks.
Maggie Murtagh and Brittany Fiske usually are good for more than 30 points per game for the Spartans. But Broomfield, with its size and all-around skill, easily controlled the teams’ first meeting, winning 77-45.
