ESTES PARK — Neither Estes Park coach Dave Kiser nor Erie coach Bob Bledsoe wanted his team to be playing the other Saturday.
Both felt it was a game that would have been better played next weekend at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.
But as the cliche goes, “it it what it is,” and the two Patriot League foes met in a Class 3A Sweet 16 game of the Michelle Bostrom Region, with the host Bobcats of Estes Park winning 44-35 and earning a trip to Fort Collins and the state tournament for the second consecutive year.
“It’s really a shame,” Kiser said. “Bob and I both felt we should be in Fort Collins instead of settling it here.”
Estes Park (21-3), which lost to Holy Family in the title game last year, will play Pagosa Springs (21-2) on Thursday.
Erie (19-5) led 31-30 midway through the third quarter when everything started to go south.
Estes Park got an unexpected jolt off the bench from 5-foot-3 senior Natalie Carner, who not only provided offense with her two-handed set shots but put the defensive clamps on the Tigers’ go-to player, Dallas Rohrbaugh.
“We had to focus on the defense and I was doing my best to try to frustrate Dallas,” Carner said. “I think I did that.”
The Tigers did not make a field goal in the game’s final 12 minutes, 44 seconds.
“They put more pressure on, and it got more physical,” Bledsoe said. “We weren’t able to stand up to the physicality of the game.
“There is a distinct size difference, and when two objects collide, the bigger object always wins. At least that’s what I’ve heard in physics.”
Estes Park all-state junior guard Kimmy Hansen scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the first quarter. The Bobcats spread the wealth on the offensive end, getting 10 points from Kyra Stark and six from Julia Lawrence.
“Kimmy is a really good player,” Carner said, “but we have just as many players who are just as good and are capable of contributing to the game.”
Rohrbaugh led the Tigers with eight points. Lexie Zumwalt had seven, and Lauren Anderson and Shelby Brow had six each.
Erie 11 14 7 3 — 35
Estes Park 15 10 13 6 — 44
Erie — Rohrbaugh 2 3-4 8, Ray 2 1-2 5, Anderson 2 2-4 6, Zumwalt 3 1-1 7, Brow 3 0-2 6, Duran-Fong 0 0-0 0, Zahn 0 3-4 3, Harmon 0 0-0 0, David 0 0-0 0, Ochoa 0 0-0 0, Lee 0 0-0 0, Hulet 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 10-17 35.
Estes Park — Hansen 6 2-4 15, Lawrence 1 4-4 6, Fonken 2 0-0 4, Stark 3 4-6 10, Weitzel 0 1-2 1, Carner 2 0-0 4, Mardock 0 0-0 0, Van der Werf 0 0-0 0, Holler 0 0-0 0, Kings- wood 0 0-0 0, Morris 2 0-0 4. Totals 16 11-16 44.
3-pt. goals — Rohrbaugh; Hansen. Total fouls — Erie 15; Estes Park 13. Fouled out — Rohrbaugh. Technicals — None.
Jon E. Yunt: 303-954-1354 or jyunt@denverpost.com
