BOULDER — Broomfield’s undefeated girls don’t have to talk about three-peating as Class 4A state basketball champs. Everyone else does it for the Eagles.
Win No. 24 was nearly accomplished before the first quarter ended in a 61-34 second-round rout Friday over Castle View (10-14). The Doug- las County school in its third year of existence scrapped back in the second and third quarters, pulling within 10 points.
Broomfield, which opened on a 19-0 tear, scored the first 12 points of the final period. The Eagles, top seed in the Tanya Haave Region, advance to the Sweet 16 against Moffat County, which defeated D’Evelyn on Friday night.
“Honestly (a three-peat) is in the back of all of our minds. It has to be with all the talk and everything,” said guard Sophia Rhodes, who will play next year for Missouri-Kansas City.
Eagles veteran coach Mike Croell said of the target worn by his team: “It’s one of those deals we play through it. This was our last home game (before the state tournament moves to neutral sites) and we had a little bit of the jitters.”
Although 6-foot-6 Iowa State-bound center Anna Prins led the Eagles with 15 points, Rhodes carried Broomfield through the blazing start while the Sabercats repeatedly turned over the ball.
“We were just unlucky to get to play against Broomfield,” Castle View coach Darcy Stracke.”I think our kids were a little nervous to see a lineup that tall.”
Broomfield lists three starters 6 feet or taller. Castle View’s tallest players are 5-10.
“It depends on the night,” Rhodes said. “They were really tripling and doubling the posts. Anyone on this team can go off. Our team is very dynamic.”
Sabercat senior guard Courtney Murphy prevented the first quarter shutout with 40 seconds left with the first of her four 3-pointers. She scored Castle View’s first nine points of the second quarter to briefly make Broomfield a little bit uncomfortable.
“I don’t think we played down, they played well,” Croell said. “The way the first quarter went, it couldn’t have gone much better for us. Then we lost their shooter. We knew (Murphy) could shoot.”Castle View 5 13 10 6 — 34
Broomfield 21 13 6 21 — 61
Castle View — Murphy 6 1-5 17, Pearson 0 1-2 1, Escalante 1 0-0 2, Winkler 0 2-2 2, Hansen 4 3-7 12. Totals 11 7-17 34.
Broomfield — Chase 1 1-1 3, Biegner 3 2-4 9, Nehf 1 0-0 2, Rhodes 5 4-4 14, Hix 1 0-0 2, Sewell 3 2-4 8, Waters 2 1-3 5, Burgesser 1 1-4 3, Prins 7 1-1 15. Totals 24 12-22 61.
3-pt. goals: Castle View — Murphy 4, Hansen 1. Broomfield — Biegner 1.
Natalie Meisler: 303-954-1295 or nmeisler@denverpost.com
