BOULDER, Colo.—Alex Evans scored 21 points and Emily Wood added 15 as Monarch shocked three-time defending state champion Highlands Ranch 78-63 in the girls Class 5A semifinals Wednesday night.
With the victory, second-seeded Monarch (21-6) avenged its 93-66 December loss to Highlands Ranch (24-3) and will face Regis Jesuit for the 5A title at 8 p.m. Friday at the Coors Events Center on the University of Colorado campus.
Trailing 59-37 heading into the fourth quarter, top-seeded Highlands Ranch staged an impressive rally and cut the deficit to seven points, 67-60, when Jenessa Burke converted a pair of free throws with 1:19 to play.
Monarch appeared flustered by the Falcons’ press but calmed down and worked through as Eliza Normen and Evans scored a couple of easy baskets to increase the Coyotes’ lead to 71-60 with 50.4 seconds remaining.
Meagan Fulps then hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 45.6 seconds left to draw Highlands Ranch within 71-63, but the Falcons would come no closer.
Rebecca Richmond scored 10 points and Normen added 10 and had 15 rebounds for Monarch, a school from Louisville that is making its first final-four appearance in five years.
Fulps led the Falcons with 27 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Katelyn McDaniel added 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Highlands Ranch, which failed in its bid to become the first Colorado school to win four straight girls state basketball championships since Lamar accomplished the feat in Class 4A from 1995-98.
But the Falcons can hold their heads high. The school has won six championships in the last 10 years, including a 59-54 victory over Regis last year.
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