The Grandview girls’ basketball program is headed to its seventh consecutive Final Four.
A lopsided 70-38 victory over Cherry Creek on Friday night at the Denver Coliseum cemented the Wolves’ place among Colorado prep hoops royalty. No. 3 Grandview (16-9) advances to meet No. 2 Highlands Ranch in the semifinals.
The Wolves’ secret to a winning tradition?
“We’ve had incredibly talented players,” Grandview coach Josh Ulitzky said.
The Wolves pulled away early against Cherry Creek behind the efforts of senior guard Marya Hudgins, a Santa Clara signee, with a game-high 21 points. McDonald’s All-American center Lauren Betts, a Stanford signee, was undeterred on the block with a double-double (16 points and 16 rebounds).
Grandview’s 2-3 zone defense kept Cherry Creek off-balance all night as the Bruins shot 13 of 51 from the floor. Cherry Creek was led in scoring by freshman guard A’Neya Chambers with 13 points.
“We’ve beaten them twice this year and itap hard to beat a team three times in a row,” Hudgins said. “It was all just about our mindset. … I’ve been here for three years and this is the closest team I’ve ever been a part of. It all starts with our chemistry on the court and how much we love each other.”
Grandview is seeking its third girls basketball state championship in program history and first since 2018. Getting back to the top required a mindset change. It led the Wolves to schedule some of the top high school programs from around the nation.
Grandview opened the season with a 1-7 record while playing against teams from California, Maryland, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas.
“It really tested our kids,” Ulitzky said. “The challenge of playing out of state is that you take some losses against elite teams. But it also shows you what you’ve got to fix. With this group, I really felt like the toughness of that schedule is what we needed. We’ll see if it pays dividends.”
Grandview fell in late January games against Desoto (Texas) and Hopkins (Minnesota). The Wolves have since rattled off 11 consecutive wins.
“I would say thatap the smartest thing coach (Ulitzky) has ever done for us,” Hudgins said. “It just gave us so much confidence.”
Grandview lost in the Final Four a year ago to Regis Jesuit. In 2019, the Wolves were beaten by Cherry Creek in the 5A championship game. Grandview aims to get over the title hump with two more victories inside the Denver Coliseum.
“We’ve got to take care of the basketball and defend the 3-point line. If we can do those things, then we’ve got a chance,” Ulitzky said. “We’re one step closer. We’re grateful to be playing in the Final Four.”
