The semifinals for the Colorado high school state basketball tournaments in Classes 5A and 4A are underway with the girls playing Thursday and the boys Friday. The Denver Post will be at the Denver Coliseum covering all of the action this weekend. Live updates and scores (which will be updated quarterly, with game recaps posted promptly after each game) and the schedule are posted below. 3A boys and girls scores from their quarterfinals, which began Thursday, are also included and will be updated after each game. Refresh the page for scoring updates.
5A girls
FINAL: (6) Grandview 48, (2) Regis Jesuit 38
FINAL: (4) Cherry Creek 53, (1) Highlands Ranch 52
4A girls
FINAL: (14) Mullen 55, (2) Holy Family 33
Don’t call it an upset; a seed is just a number.
And, after all, this is Mullen we’re talking about here, a Class 4A program that finished third in its conference behind Grandview and Cherry Creek — two teams playing in the 5A state semifinals.
There was no surprise Thursday when the Mustangs, with the No. 14 seed in the 4A state tournament, made easy work of No. 2 Holy Family, 55-33, and clinching a berth in the state championship game Saturday where it awaits Pueblo South.
“Playing in the conference we do gives us a lot of confidence to play well in the state tournament,” Mullen’s Imani Perez said. “It lets us know we can go against good teams and compete well, good teams like we played tonight.”
Perez, a freshman forward, had yet another stellar performance, coming just short of a double-double to pace the Mustangs (19-8) with 9 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Gracie Gallegos and Megan Pohs had 11 points apiece.
Holy Family (21-6) was led by Genevieve Gudino with 13 points and 5 rebounds.
Saturday, Mullen will attempt to win its first state championship in girls hoops since 2006.
FINAL: (4) Pueblo South 45, (1) Air Academy 42
The mighty have fallen in the Class 4A girls’ basketball state tournament.
Pueblo South defeated top-seeded and previously undefeated Air Academy to reach the championship game Saturday. It marks Pueblo South’s third-straight trip to the title game where they lost in each of the past two years.
“Right now in my head, I think the third time is a charm,” senior center Gabi Lucero said. “We’re going to win this time with the right mindset coming in strong.”
Lucero’s heroics paved the way. Air Academy (26-1) and Pueblo South (24-3) were tied at 36 with 5:00 left in the fourth quarter when she scored consecutive buckets on a mid-range jumper and layup. Lucero added a free throw in the final minute to cap a game-high 25 points in addition to 15 rebounds.
“Throughout the game, I was saying, ‘We’re unstoppable. We can beat this team,’ ” Lucero said. “I played my heart out and I know my team did, too. We’re here at the state title again and itap just amazing.”
Air Academy was led by junior guard Kylee Blacksten with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
3A girls
(1) St. Mary’s 53, (9) Alamosa 38
(5) Eaton 53, (4) Delta 45
(2) Colorado Springs Christian 60, (10) Centauri 48
(3) Pagosa Springs 46, (6) Lutheran 32
3A boys
(4) The Vanguard School 62, (5) Delta 53
(3) Manual 84, (11) Resurrection Christian 68
(8) DSST Stapleton 59, (1) Lutheran 55
(2) Sterling 51, (7) Montezuma-Cortez 30
Real-time Tweets
Live updates, tweets, photos, analysis and more from the 2019 Colorado high school state basketball tournament. Mobile users, if you can’t see the live blog, .
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