Heading into Tuesday night’s key Class 4A Jefferson County League matchup at D’Evelyn, Evergreen coach Ali Meyers made it clear to her Cougars that the Jaguars’ shooting range just about reaches the parking lot outside the gymnasium.
Proof was in the Jags’ statistics — they had launched 345 3-pointers, or more than 30 per game.
So Evergreen extended its defense and came full circle by repeatedly getting behind the Jags’ press for easier baskets in taking a 54-43 victory.
In improving to 9-3 overall, 3-1 in league, Evergreen, ranked No. 7 in The Denver Post/9News poll, remained a game back of co-league-leading Conifer and Wheat Ridge in a suddenly top-heavy Jeffco, thanks to picking up D’Evelyn (9-3, 2-2) at half court and never letting go.
“We got into some foul trouble, but it worked,” Meyers, the former first-team all-stater at Evergreen in the 1990s, said of her team, which ordinarily throws out traps and zones in bunches. “Even my bigs were picking them up at half court. We didn’t play perfect and it was kind of a scary game for us because (the Jags) are opposite of what we are.”
Evergreen had superior height and inside play, notably through Jordan Florschuetz, who led all scorers with 20 points. She led the parade of inside shots and putbacks by the Cougars, who also received 13 points from Halle Johnson.
Florschuetz figured she would get her chances if she got up and down the floor.
“It’s a game of runs, so if we get back fastest, we’ll be down there,” Florschuetz said.
The Cougars led by nine at halftime, then had little trouble keeping it into double figures the rest of the way.
D’Evelyn was game, yet had trouble finishing down low, made only four 3-pointers, missed nine free throws and had turnover issues.
“They were pressuring us all over the court and made us make decisions,” D’Evelyn coach Chris Olson said. “But we have to battle and play better defense. And that was our tempo and our pace.”
Madalyn Neely paced D’Evelyn with 13 points.
Evergreen 16 16 12 10 — 54
D’Evelyn 8 15 10 10 — 43
Evergreen — Beaudin 2 0-0 5, Warren 1 0-3 2, Florschuetz 9 1-1 20, Weins 3 2-4 8, Bestall 0 2-2 2, Stading 1 2-2 4, Johnson 5 3-5 13, Rauch 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 10-17 54.
D’Evelyn — Maxwell 0 0-0 0, Pittman 3 1-2 9, Reinke 1 2-2 5, Marler 1 2-3 4, Tyree 1 0-0 2, Neely 5 3-6 13, Kalkus 2 1-4 6, Duran 2 0-1 4. Totals 15 9-18 43.
3-point goals: Evergreen — Beaudin, Florschuetz. D’Evelyn — Pittman 2, Reinke, Kalkus.
Neil H. Devlin: 303-954-1714 or ndevlin@denverpost.com
