HIGHLANDS RANCH — Highlands Ranch players wouldn’t be satisfied with winning the lottery. They want to hit Powerball.
That mentality shined through Friday night, when, in the biggest game of the season, the top-ranked Falcons didn’t merely defeat Class 5A Continental League-rival ThunderRidge. They walloped the visiting and No. 3 Grizzlies 72-42.
“It’s really satisfying knowing we can beat a higher-competition team like this,” Falcons guard Michaela Neuhaus said. “We know we can beat the easier teams, but to pull together and beat them by 30 is really nice.”
Each team entered on a nine-game winning streak, and the contest essentially was for the league title with each team having only winnable games remaining. While a five-point win would have sufficed, the lopsided win is eons better for the Falcons (17-3, 8-0).
“It definitely is, because they’re such a big rival and with the league championship resting on this,” Falcons forward Katelyn McDaniel said. “It was really important to come out and play our best.”
Neuhaus led the way with 19 points, while McDaniel added 17 and Lindsay Mallon 13. Liza Heap just missed a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.
“We’re going to have to get a lot tougher,” ThunderRidge coach Bill Bradley said. “I’m not saying meaner or nastier, but we’re just not real physical. We don’t set screens, we don’t jam cutters. We’re a real finesse team.”
ThunderRidge (17-4, 8-1) received 20 points from point guard Carlie Needles, who drilled four long 3-pointers early but then was bottled up by the swarming Falcons defense.
“We have to be mentally tough,” Needles said. “It’s just a name on a jersey. You still can come out and win. I think that’s what got some of our younger players was the name on front of the shirt.”
Highlands Ranch led 46-30 entering the fourth, then blitzed the weary Grizzlies with a bevy of transition buckets.
“It’s nice for us when they have one or two good players and we can give the ball to any of our (starters) and let them come through for us,” Neuhaus said.
Highlands Ranch 14 18 14 26 — 42
ThunderRidge 9 11 10 12 — 72
Highlands Ranch — Heap 4 0-0 9, Mallon 6 1-1 13, McDaniel 5 7-8 17, Baker 2 0-0 4, Neuhaus 7 1-2 19, Morgan 2 2-2 7, Yates 0 0-0 0, Lujan 0 0-0 0, Hickey 0 0-0 0, Wainright 1 1-1 3. Totals 27 12-14 72.ThunderRidge — Needles 6 4-6 20, Throop 1 0-0 2, Chase 1 2-4 4, Rusk 2 2-2 8, Williams 4 0-1 8, Kaminsky 0 0-0 0, Yoney 0 0-0 0 Ernst 0 0-0 0, Lentz 0 0-0 0, Porter 0 0-0 0, Reiner 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 8-13 42.3-point goals — Needles 4, Rusk 2; Neuhaus 4, Heap, Morgan. Total fouls — Highlands Ranch 15, ThunderRidge 11. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
