The following is a look at the marquee games to watch for this week in boys and girls basketball:
BOYS HOOPS
Legend (3-1) at No. 4 (4-0), Tuesday 7 p.m.: Coach Kevin Boley’s Titans are catalyzed by sophomore guard Caleb Tamminga’s 14.8 points per game as well as the leadership of senior captain Blake Fields. The Cougars, meanwhile, are coming off a nail-biting victory over Lakewood and are playing with enough swagger to beat any team in the state.
No. 7 Lakewood (3-1) at No. 2 ThunderRidge (4-0), Tuesday 7 p.m.: Coach Daryl Johnson’s Tigers boast four scorers in double figures and play with outstanding intensity on the defensive end. The red-hot Grizzlies, meanwhile, have a potent one-two offensive punch in senior Corey Seng and junior Kaison Hammonds.
No. 9 Overland (1-1) at No. 6 (7-1), Tuesday 7 p.m.: Overland’s brand-new starting lineup has looked dangerous thus far, as junior point guard Tucson Redding, junior forward Goy Wang and the rest of the Blazers look to be a team on the rise. Meanwhile, the Jaguars toppled top-ranked Eaglecrest on Dec. 6 and followed that up with four consecutive wins in an out-of-state tournament in San Antonio, Texas.
GIRLS HOOPS
No. 5 (4-1) at No. 9 Monarch (5-2), Tuesday 7 p.m.: Even with the graduation of three key seniors and the transfer of leading scorer Leilah Vigil, this year’s Falcons may be even better than last year’s state runner-up team. Tommi Olson, Autumn Watts & Co. are hard to keep up with scoring-wise. But Monarch is a force, too, as coach Bill Bradley’s squad is headlined by three capable scorers in senior point guard Peyton Carter, senior forward Jasmine Jeffcoat and sophomore center Emerson Herrmann.
(3-2) at (4-1), Friday 7 p.m.: Sophomore sensation Francesca Belibi (18 points per game) isn’t the only elite player on the Raiders, as junior center Noelle Cahill and freshman point guard Jada Moore give youthful Regis Jesuit room to grow into a title contender. And last week, Pine Creek cruised to the Boulder County Invitational tournament championship largely thanks to the play of senior Courtney Stanton.
No. 1 (2-1) at No. 8 Windsor (3-0), Friday 7 p.m.: In a Rocky Mountain High School Holiday Classic showdown, the two-time defending 4A champion Eagles will lean on the scoring of seniors Tess Boade and Mary Newland. The Wizards are headlined by junior guard Michaela Moran.
