GOLDEN — Once the three-time defending girls state champions started doing the easy things, things got really easy Saturday.
The Broomfield Eagles couldn’t make a layup or a free throw through most of the first quarter and found themselves in a tight game with Pueblo East at the Colorado School of Mines’ Lockridge Arena.
But when shots started falling, the No. 1- seeded Eagles (25-1) used their height and defense to roll to a 57-31 victory in the Class 4A quarterfinals.
“It got a lot easier,” said Eagles junior Bre Burgesser, who scored a game-high 17 points to help clinch the Tanya Haave Region.
Unbeaten against Class 4A teams this season, the Eagles won their 22nd consecutive game.
The Northern League champions, who lost most of their starters from last season, will play Wednesday at CU’s Coors Events Center in Boulder.
Pueblo East finished 23-3.
Conifer 59, Pueblo South 46.
The Lobos had to hold on to advance to their first final four in school history after a 16-point lead was whittled to 50-46 with 3:22 remaining.
Alison Gorrell scored 25 points and Cara Walderman and Sam Mohrman contributed 13 points apiece as the No. 2-seeded Lobos (25-1) won the Tracy Hill Region. They play Broomfield next.
“I think we got too satisfied with ourselves and too comfortable with where we were,” Mohrman said.
The No. 1-seeded Colts (18-7) trailed 41-25 midway through the third quarter before rallying with 3-pointers and physical defense.
Longmont 60, Cheyenne Mountain 50.
Without their leading scorer and their lead cut to one point to start the fourth quarter, the Trojans responded with a key run to win the Lou Piel Region.
With Jamie Katuna sidelined by an injury, the No. 4-seeded Trojans (23-3) got 20 points from 6-foot-5 junior Megan Carpenter and 12 points apiece from Jordan Arguello and Tambre Haddock.
“It’s great,” Arguello said. “We were calm. We were composed.”
The Trojans, who entered the playoffs on a two-game slide, play Mullen in the final four Wednesday. The Mustangs eliminated the Trojans in the quarterfinals last year.
The Indians (20-6) got 16 points, including 10-of-10 free-throw shooting, from Janae Vander Ploeg.
Brian Forbes, Special to The Denver Post
