The quarterfinals of the Colorado high school basketball state tournaments for Classes 4A-6A take place Thursday through Saturday at Denver Coliseum. Our staff will be there throughout the weekend providing live coverage. Refresh this page for the latest updates and results.
Tournament info: Tournament brackets and results | 12 impact freshmen to watch | Rock Canyon-Regis preview | 6A preview capsules | Day 1 coverage of Class 5A Great 8 | Day 2 coverage of Class 4A Great 8聽
Updates
11:37 p.m.:聽 That’s a wrap. Three days, 24 games, and a couple of instant classics — including the finale between Regis Jesuit and Rock Canyon. With everything in the books, here’s the Class 6A Final 4 matchups for next Friday at Denver Coliseum:
Boys
No. 1 Mountain Vista (24-2) vs. No. 4 Denver East (24-2), TBA
No. 7 Regis Jesuit (20-6) vs. No. 3 Fossil Ridge (24-2), TBA
骋颈谤濒蝉听
No. 8 Arapahoe (20-6) vs. No. 4 Monarch (25-1), 2:15 p.m.
No. 2 Cherry Creek (22-4) vs. No. 11 Grandview (17-9), 11 a.m.
No. 7 Regis Jesuit 47, No. 2 Rock Canyon 46
TaRea Fulcher did it again.
A week after taking down Highlands Ranch in the Sweet 16 with a 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Regis Jesuit senior conjured up some more late-game magic in the Class 6A Great 8 on Saturday.
In one fell swoop, Fulcher avenged RJ’s most painful loss of the season and sent the Raiders to the Final 4 for the first time since 2011 with a coast-to-coast and-one that nearly blew the roof off Denver Coliseum.
“We lost on a game-winning shot (in the first meeting with Rock Canyon),” Fulcher said. “I guess we just won on a game-winning shot.”
After guard Gavin Hershberger sank two free throws to give Rock Canyon a 46-44 lead with 10.9 seconds to go, Fulcher dribbled the length of the court, banked in a lay-up and drew a foul on senior forward Aidan Peck. With the game hanging in the balance, and the Canyon Crazies making their own noise on the other end of the Coliseum, Fulcher stepped up and knocked down the go-ahead free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining.
“We said if (Hershberger) makes it, we’re going to get it in to me and just push hard and try to get a good look, and that’s exactly what we did,” Fulcher said.
The last-second shot that carried Rock Canyon to a 59-57 victory over Regis Jan. 20 in Aurora wasn’t there this time around, as Hershberger’s desperation half-court heave failed to draw iron.
The entire sequence followed a wild 60 seconds of play that saw Regis (20-6) tie the score after being down 44-40 with 1:15 to play.
After a Regis timeout, junior guard Damarius Taylor fed senior Nick Frontz for a lay-in to pull within two. Then, with Rock Canyon trying to run out the clock up two, Hershberger turned the ball over, leading to a Joe Dorais bucket the other way after the officials whistled the Jaguars for a controversial goaltending call.
“We’ve been in this position about 12 times this season,” Fulcher said. “So (the message with 1:15 left was) just attack how we have all season, just keep grinding, play good defense and get stops.”
Hershberger finished with a game-high 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting in a valiant effort for the Jaguars (23-3). Fulcher had 16 points and two assists, while Taylor had 15 points, six rebounds and three assists for Regis, who gets No. 3 Fossil Ridge in the Final 4 next Friday.
“That’s a great team,” Fulcher said, “but we were able to come out on the good end of the stick this time.”
10:42 p.m.: PANDEMONIUM at Denver Coliseum. After Gavin Hershberger hit a pair of free throws to put Rock Canyon ahead 46-44 with 10.9 seconds to go, TaRea Fulcher took the ball the length of the court and banked in a lay-up while drawing a foul on Aidan Peck. Fulcher knocked down the free thrown with 3.2 seconds left, and Hershberger’s desperation half-court heave was no good. This one will be debated … for a long, long, long time. — Matt Schubert
Final 46 47 does it again game-tying basket and the makes the free throw
RC heave falls short what a way to end the night
— BasketballColorado (@Bball_CO)
10:32 p.m.: The Raiders have life! Out of a Regis timeout, Damarius Taylor fed Nick Frontz for a lay-in. Then, with Rock Canyon trying to run out the clock up two, Gavin Hershberger turned the ball over, leading to a Joe Dorais bucket the other way after the refs whistled the Jaguars for goaltending. We’re all tied at 44, and it’s RC ball with 16.9 seconds to go. Complete delirium in the Regis student section. — Matt Schubert
10:30 p.m.: Regis’ Damarius Taylor and Rock Canyon’s Gavin Hershberger trade free throws, leaving the Jaguars with a 44-40 lead with 1:15 remaining. Of note: Hershberger has four fouls.
10:25 p.m.: Rock Canyon beat Regis backdoor on a pair of passes. It’s now 42-37 RC with 2:47 left. Regis’ struggles from the free throw line just might decide this. — Matt Schubert
10:11 p.m.: Folks, we got a ball game. Sophomore Alec Roumph knocked down back-to-back 3s, and Eric Fiedler tipped in a 3-point miss at the buzzer to draw Regis within three of Rock Canyon going into the fourth quarter. It’s 33-30 Rock Canyon. — Matt Schubert
10:06 p.m.: TaRea Fulcher is back in the game, but Rock Canyon now in control. Gavin Hershberger is up to 16 points on the game, and the Jaguars lead 33-22 with 2:49 left in the third quarter. — Matt Schubert
9:57 p.m.: Regis point guard TaRea Fulcher hit the ground hard on a drive to the basket early in the third quarter and spent several moments writing in pain on the ground. He had to be taken out of the game. — Matt Schubert
9:46 p.m.: Gavin Hershberger had his finger prints all over the second quarter, slashing through the lane for buckets and finding open teammates inside and out. That last of his two assists was a one-handed beauty to a wide open Graham Arnold in the corner, who buried the 3 to put the Jaguars ahead 25-15. Regis point guard TaRea Fulcher banked in a shot at the buzzer on the other end, but it’s still 25-17 Rock Canyon at halftime. — Matt Schubert
9:37 p.m.: Rock Canyon is in the midst of a 9-0 run to start the second quarter. It’s 14-11 Jaguars, with Regis approaching five minutes without a basket. — Matt Schubert
9:31 p.m.: Rock Canyon answers right back, with Gavin Hershberger driving to the bucket for an and-one lay-up. It’s 11-10 Regis one minute into the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
9:28 p.m.: Regis guards TaRea Fulcher and Damarius Taylor combined for nine points in the first quarter, the last three coming on a banked-in triple from Taylor after two straight offensive boards. It’s 11-5 Regis after one quarter. — Matt Schubert
9:15 p.m.: We’ve got two student sections in a LATHER for the finale and we’re tipping off at roughly 9:20 p.m. This is going to be a blast. — Matt Schubert
No. 2 Cherry Creek girls 48, No. 7 Doherty 35
It took three quarters for Doherty to find its offense in the girls’ nightcap. By then, it was way too late.
Braelynn Barnett punished the Spartans in the paint with 16 points and 11 rebounds, A’neya Chambers added 13 points and four blocks, and the Bruins (22-4) advanced to the Final 4 for the first time since 2020. They will face Grandview next Friday.
Suffocated by the Creek defense to the tune of 27.9% shooting and single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters, Doherty spent all night a step behind the Bruins. Addy Beck’s 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer gave Creek a 22-13 lead going into the break, and the lead grew as large as 14 points in the third quarter.
The Spartans made a late rally in the fourth, drawing within seven twice on a Brianne Mansanares drive and two Tayva Phillips free throws, respectively. But every Doherty (19-7) surge was met by a Creek response. — Matt Schubert
8:32 p.m.: The point totals by quarter for Doherty: 6/7/9. Incremental improvement? Sure. But not nearly enough against a Bruins team that is now a quarter away from聽returning to the Final 4 for the first time since 2020. — Matt Schubert
8:25 p.m.: Braelynn Barnett is bullying the Spartans in the paint right, and with Tianna Chambers sinking a 3-pointer from the wing, the Bruins’ lead has grown to 30-18 with 2:23 left in the third quarter.
8:03 p.m.: The Bruins have surged ahead, with Addy Beck’s 3-pointer at the buzzer giving Creek a 22-13 lead at the break. Doherty can’t seem to figure out the Creek defense, with back-to-back single-digit quarters. — Matt Schubert
7:48 p.m.: We’ve got ourselves a defensive slugsfest, with Cherry Creek and Doherty both dug in. The Bruins lead 8-6 after one quarter. — Matt Schubert
No. 1 Mountain Vista boys 75, No. 8 Valor Christian 66
It came with a few tense moments, but Mountain Vista’s聽quest to win its first state title is alive and well.
Senior guard Radek Homer put up a game-high 23 points, 6-foot-9 senior Caden Stevens scored 19 points, blocked four shots and altered countless others, and the Golden Eagles withstood a fourth-quarter Valor rally to advance to next Friday’s Final 4 and a matchup with Denver East.
The long-armed Mountain Vista defense harassed Valor into 28.1% shooting in the first half, then jumped ahead by as many as 19 points in the third quarter. But the Eagles briefly caught fire, drawing to within five when Ryan Dixon finished baseline on Stevens with 4:22 left.
That was as close as Valor would get, however, as Wes Baskind converted back-to-back Eagles turnovers into baskets to go back up 12 — the last an emphatic two-hand jam that put away a game MV led from start to finish. Cal Baskind and Brendan Diehl had 10 points apiece for MV (24-2).
Clark Hodge led Valor (18-8) with 16 points, Cole Scherer had 12 points and two assists, and Archer VanSickle 11 points. — Matt Schubert
7:03 p.m.: Order restored. A pair of Valor Christian turnovers were converted into Wes Baskind buckets — the last a two-handed slam that all but sealed the game with the Golden Eagles up 12. — Matt Schubert
6:58 p.m.: Mountain Vista’s lead shrunk to five after Ryan Dixon’s baseline drive, but Mountain Vista has pushed it back to nine after a pair of free throws and a Caden Stevens lay-in off glass. It’s now 62-54 MV with 3:09 to go. — Matt Schubert
6:50 p.m.: Valor isn’t going away. A 6-0 spurt punctuated by Cole Scherer’s floater in the paint has pulled Valor to within eight with Mountain Vista leading 56-48 with 6:24 to go. — Matt Schubert
6:47 p.m.: The Eagles are starting to heat up from 3-point range, sinking three in succession (two from Archer VanSickle) near the end of the third quarter, but they’re still trailing 54-41 going into the fourth. It’s going to take a heck of a defensive effort for Valor to get back in this one. — Matt Schubert
6:42 p.m.: Valor Christian just cannot finish against Caden Stevens at the rim, and the Eagles can’t stop him on the other end either. The Golden Eagles are starting to slowly suffocate the Eagles, led by Stevens’ 16 points. It’s 48-32 with 2:24 left in the third quarter. — Matt Schubert
6:21 p.m.: Mountain Vista takes a 34-23 lead into the halftime break. The Golden Eagles’ length on defense is clearly frustrating Valor, which is 6 for 23 from the field and getting outrebounded 25-14.
Mountain Vista’s Caden Stevens leads all scorers with 10 points and five rebounds, while Radek Homer has nine points and Cal Baskind eight points.聽— Matt Schubert
6:15 p.m.: Top-seeded Mountain Vista is in complete control against Valor, stretching its lead to 34-21 after Cal Baskind knocked down a 3-pointer off the dribble with 2:07 left in the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
5:57 p.m.: Mountain Vista is attacking the paint and finding success, jumping ahead 15-9 after Ian Strawbridge sank a pair of free throws to close out the first quarter. — Matt Schubert
No. 8 Arapahoe girls 62, No. 1 Valor Christian 54
It took all of one minute for Emily Thomas to send a message.
Defending Valor Christian star Macey Huard underneath the hoop, the Arapahoe senior got her hands on top of the ball and tossed Huard to the floor with such force the thud could be felt courtside.
The gritty, physical play was just the beginning. And while Huard still toughed out a game-high 32 points and 13 rebounds on 11-fo-20 shooting, the Warriors’ dogged defense didn’t allow anything easy in pulling off a stunning upset of the top seed in Class 6A.
Gianna Smith scored nine of her team-high 24 points in the third quarter to help turn a 32-28 halftime deficit into a 43-41 edge going into the fourth. Sydney White added 16 points, including an and-one reverse lay-in that gave Arapahoe the lead for good with 5:17 left, and the Warriors sank 12 of 17 free throws in the final 4:21 to avenge last year’s Final 4 loss to Valor.
“We weren’t super happy with our seeding coming out, and we just knew we had to prove everyone wrong and show them that we shouldn’t have been an eight seed,” said Thomas, who did it all with four points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks.
“We wanted it so badly and we knew that was a game that we could only win on defense, so we just put our (butts) on the line for each other.”
The Warriors (20-6) took care of the ball on the offensive end (five turnovers) while forcing the Eagles into enough mistakes (12 turnovers) on the other end to negate a 34-23 rebounding advantage for Valor.
The loss ended a string of three straight Final 4 appearances for Valor (22-3). Arapahoe will face No. 4 Monarch in next Friday’s Final 4 at Denver Coliseum. — Matt Schubert
5:14 p.m.: Valor’s Macey Huard has three putbacks in the last two minutes, putting her at 28 points for the game and pulling the Eagles within 54-50 of Arapahoe with 1:11 to go. This is going to come down to free throws for the Warriors. — Matt Schubert
5:10 p.m.: UPSET WATCH. The Arapahoe defense has locked down Valor, allowing just one basket through the first 4:43 of the fourth quarter. And on the other end, Gianna Smith is slowly burying the Eagles with free throws, hitting 3 of 6 to give the Warriors a 51-44 lead with 3:17 left in the game. — Matt Schubert
5:01 p.m.: Sydney White pulls off a circus shot, going off glass on a reverse back-door cut and-one to push the Warriors ahead 46-43 with 5:09 left in the game. Top-seeded Valor is on the ropes. — Matt Schubert
4:55 p.m.: The Warriors will not quit. After Valor’s Macey Huard took the lead back from Arapahoe with a putback, Gianna Smith scored again (she had nine in the third quarter) and Sydney White scooped in a shot off glass to give Arapahoe at 43-41 lead going into the fourth quarter. — Matt Schubert
4:51 p.m.: Gianna Smith refuses to let Arapahoe go away. A 3-pointer and two more free throws pulled Arapahoe within two of Valor. Moments later, a pull-up jumper off the dribble tied things up at 39 with 2:25 left in the third.— Matt Schubert
4:29 p.m.: Now it’s Quinn VanSickle’s turn. The sophomore guard buried back-to-back jumpers, the last from behind the 3-point line on the wing, to push Valor Christian back on top 32-28 going into the halftime break. In between, Arapahoe’s Gianna Smith had one of the prettiest behind-the-back dribbles you’ll ever see on a basketball court. Unfortunately, she couldn’t sink the jumper that followed.
Valor’s Macey Huard already has 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and four rebounds, while VanSickle sits at nine points on 4 of 8 from the floor. Sydney White leads Arapahoe with nine points at the break, and Smith has eight.聽— Matt Schubert
4:19 p.m.: The Arapahoe girls have stormed back, with Emerson Stark’s 3-pointer giving them a 22-21 lead, and Sydney White finishing a fast-break with a lay-in. It’s 24-21 Arapahoe with 3:34 left in the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
4:12 p.m.: In a battle of two exceptional shooting strokes, Valor Christian’s Macey Huard (10 points) is currently on top. Although, it’s not for a lack of trying for Arapahoe’s Gianna Smith, who has eight points, including a pair of 3s that didn’t dare touch rim. Still, it’s 16-10 Valor girls after one quarter. — Matt Schubert
No. 3 Fossil Ridge boys 71, No. 6 Fort Collins 58
Patience paid off big time for the SaberCats (24-2) in the Class 6A quarterfinals and they鈥檙e returning to the Final 4 after finishing as the Class 5A runner-up last year.
Finding senior 6-foot-7 senior Nick Randall open at the right spots at the right times, the SaberCats broke open a close game in the fourth quarter to win going away. Randall scored 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds as Fossil Ridge avenged a 55-52 home loss to the Lambkins earlier in the season. Randall was nearly perfect, making all 13 shots from the field and making five of his eight free-throw attempts.
鈥淲e stuck with our game plan from the very beginning, which is something we didn鈥檛 do when they beat us last time,鈥� Fossil Ridge coach Matt Johannsen said. 鈥淭he last time we played them, we were impatient trying to get Randall the ball. They were ready for that, but today I was very pleased with our execution.鈥�
Fort Collins鈥� Luke Wagstaff scored 25 points as he tried to lead the sixth-seeded Lambkins (22-4) to the Final 4 for the first time since 1977.
In the state semifinals, Fossil Ridge will play the winner of Saturday night抖阴ap game between No. 7 Regis Jesuit and No. 2 Rock Canyon.聽 — Patrick Saunders聽
3:02 p.m.: That’s all she wrote. The Fossil Ridge SaberCats have avenged their loss to Fort Collins and punched their ticket to the Final 4. Senior big man Nick Randall was perfect — almost literally — hitting 13 of 13 from the floor for 31 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. He did miss four free throws, showing that he is, in fact, human. Fort Collins senior Luke Wagstaff was brilliant in defeat, scoring a team-high 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting. — Matt Schubert
2:53 p.m.: Barring a miracle by the Lambkins, Fossil Ridge is headed back to the Final Four. Ridge lead 63-51 with 1:50 remaining. — Patrick Saunders
2:37 p.m.: Fossil Ridge expands its lead to 48-40 early in the fourth quarter. Lots or work inside. Nick Randall is 9 for 9 from the floor. — Patrick Saunders聽聽
2:13 p.m.: Talk about a closing kick. Fossil Ridge and Fort Collins traded the lead or tied the game eight times in the final 3:30 of the second quarter, with Nick Randall and Luke Wagstaff taking turns on each end. Just an incredible sequence, topped off by Drew Larson’s 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to give Fossil Ridge a 32-30 halftime lead.
Wagstaff leads the Lambkins with 11 points, while Jamar Mitchell has seven points and three assists. Randal is pacing Fossil Ridge with 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from the field, and Drew聽 Larson and Ty Brown have seven points apiece. — Matt Schubert
1:59 p.m.: Fossil Ridge is getting whatever it wants in the paint, especially big man Nick Randall, but Fort Collins is staying with them. Luke Wagstaff and Jamar Mitchell have five points apiece for the Lambkins. It’s 16-14 Fossil Ridge after one quarter. — Matt Schubert
1:52 p.m.: Fossil Ridge is getting to the bucket, with eight of the SaberCats’ points coming in the paint, and the other two at the free throw line on penetration. It’s 12-10 Fossil Ridge with 3:07 left in the first quarter. Fort Collins senior Luke Wagstaff’s face-up 3-pointer might get him going. — Matt Schubert
1:43 p.m.: We’re set to begin No. 3 Fossil Ridge vs. No. 6 Fort Collins in the second boys quarterfinal of the day. This might be the biggest game in FoCo history, and it will undoubtedly be a blast. — Matt Schubert
No. 11 Grandview girls 57, No. 3 Highlands Ranch 53
It was a nervy finish at the free-throw line, but the reigning 6A champions are still alive with a win over Highlands Ranch. The Falcons had plenty of chances to cut into the deficit with Tori Baker (17 points) and Maddie Groth (14 points) leading the way, but Sienna Betts was just too dominant on the boards, and a 23-point effort was the difference.
The Wolves will get the winner of the Cherry Creek-Doherty game tonight. — Brendan Ploen
1:20 p.m.: Tori Baker comes up with a huge charge and the four-point game can be reduced even further following a Highlands Ranch timeout. 57-53, Grandview with 50 seconds left. — Brendan Ploen
1:10 p.m.: Here come the Falcons.
Tori Baker hits from beyond the arc and cuts the Wolves’ lead, which was eight to start the quarter, down to just one. Highlands Ranch has made four 3s this quarter. 50-49 with 3:38 remaining. Grandview calls a timeout after struggling to handle the press. –– Brendan Ploen
1:00 p.m.: Grandview closes the third quarter on a 9-2 run to take a bit of momentum back from Highlands Ranch. This time, the Wolves have been better at finding cutters at the rim other than Betts, such as Isa Dillehay, who has six points. Wolves lead 41-36 to begin the fourth quarter. — Brendan Ploen
12:43 p.m.: At the end of the first half, Highlands Ranch takes a 27-25 lead, and Maddie Groth leds the way for the Falcons with 12 points, while Sienna Betts has 11 for Grandview. Both teams are punching back with plenty of buckets in the post.
Highlands Ranch is facing off against Grandview for the fifth time in postseason history dating back to 2007 and the Falcons are looking for only their second win over the Wolves. — Brendan Ploen
12:24 p.m.: Just as we expected, Sienna Betts was tough to deal with down low as she already has six quick points, but it’s a balanced Highlands Ranch scoring attack that’s stood out so far with four starters on the scoreboard. Falcons lead 15-10 after the first period of play. — Brendan Ploen
12:15 p.m.: Tip-off is underway between No. 11 Grandview (16-9) and No. 3 Highlands Ranch (22-3) in the second 6A girls quarterfinal of the day.
Keep an eye out for Grandview’s Sienna Betts, the sister of Stanford freshman Lauren, and on the other side for the Falcons, Maddie Groth, the team’s leading rebounder at small forward. — Brendan Ploen
12:12 p.m.: We’ve tipped off Highlands Ranch-Grandview girls, and it’s pretty clear how this one is going to go early on. Get ready for lots of deliberate half-court sets with both defenses digging in. It’s 5-2 Highlands Ranch with 5:37 left in the first quarter. — Matt Schubert
No. 4 Denver East boys 77, No. 5 Smoky Hill 71
Noon: Stat leaders for East: Austin Mohr 21 points, 13 rebounds; D’Aundre Samuels 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting, Gil Gonzalez 11 points, eight rebounds, three dunks; Jack Greenwood 16 points and two assists.
Stat leaders for Smoky: Rickey Mitchell 17 points, five rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting; Kai McGrew 16 points, nine rebounds, two blocks on 6-of-8 shooting; Ray Gasaway 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting.
Key stat of the game: Denver East owned a 41-26 rebounding margin and Smoky Hill turned the ball over 28 times. The Angels just got too many possessions.
East will get the winner of No. 1 Mountain Vista-No. 8 Valor Christian next Friday in the Coliseum. — Matt Schubert
11:50 a.m.: The Denver East Angels hold on. Smoky Hill just could not manage the game without its playmaker Rickey Mitchell, and the Angels made enough free throws late (6 of 8) to punch their ticket to the Final 4. That was everything we could’ve asked for and more.聽— Matt Schubert
Class 6A GREAT 8 FINAL: No. 4 Denver East 77, No. 5 Smoky Hill 71.
What. A. Game.— Brendan Ploen (@BrendanPloen)
11:44 a.m.: Gil Gonzalez sinks 1 of 2 at the free-throw line, and it’s 72-69 East with 1:57 left. Smoky ball… and a corner 3 rims out. — Matt Schubert
11:41 a.m.: Four turnovers in five possession for Smoky Hill, and Denver East is converting, including a Gil Gonzalez putback slam. It’s 71-68 Angels with 2:38 to go, but D’Aundre Samuels just fouled out. This is ging to get interesting. — Matt Schubert
Nearly captured the dunk of the CHSAA State basketball tournament: East抖阴ap D鈥橝undre Samuels couldn鈥檛 finish but the Angels still got a crucial bucket out of the possession
— Brendan Ploen (@BrendanPloen)
11:32 a.m.: And now Smoky’s Rickey Mitchell has fouled out with 5:55 to play and the Buffs up five. MAJOR development. — Matt Schubert
11:30 a.m.: The teams are trading leads now. Smoky is on top 64-59 with 6:13 to play. D’Aundre Samuels has four fouls. Austin Mohr has four fouls. Rickey Mitchell has four fouls. Buckle up! — Matt Schubert
11:25 a.m.: Smoky Hill isn’t going away. Consecutive 3s by Rickey Mitchell put them back in the game. East leads 56-53 entering the fourth quarter. — Patrick Saunders聽
11:10 a.m.: One of the best plays I’ve ever seen in prep hoops. East’s D’Aundre Samuels broke the Smoky Hill press and threw a looooong pass to Gil Gonzalez for an alley-oop dunk. Amazing! — Patrick Saunders
11:05 a.m.: Sloppy game early between East and Smoky Hill but the energy and pace of play is intense. Boys found their groove and it’s turning into a great game. East leads 44-39 with 7 minutes left in the third. — Patrick Saunders
10:55 a.m.: Hard to imagine high school basketball getting much better than this. Denver East and Smoky Hill are trading haymakers, with East’s Austin Mohr the leading scorer at 12 points. Teammate D’Aundre Samuels has 10 points, and Ryan Kelly banked in a 30-footer at the buzzer to give the Angels a 42-37 halftime lead.
Ray Gasaway is doing his best to keep the Buffaloes in it, scoring nine on 4-of-5 shooting. Freshman big man Kai McGrew has six points and four rebounds, while star senior Rickey Mitchell has seven points and four rebounds on 2-of-6 shooting. — Matt Schubert
10:40 a.m.: Denver East-Smoky Hill is delivering through one quarter. The Angels raced out to a double-digit lead, but Smoky roared right back. It’s 21-17 Denver East entering the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
10:30 a.m.: The first 6A boys quarterfinal is underway between No. 4 Denver East and No. 5 Smoky Hill.聽 The Coliseum has filled up considerably and it’s a great atmosphere. Smoky Hill leads 6-5 early in the first quarter. 鈥� Brendan Ploen
No. 4 Monarch girls 60, No. 12 Regis Jesuit 44
Coming back from a 13-point deficit at the Coliseum can seem almost an insurmountable task for many teams.
Not for the No. 4 Monarch High School girls in Saturday’s Class 6A quarterfinals. They rode a second-quarter sonic scoring boom and took it all the way to a Great 8 victory over Regis Jesuit. It’s the first time Monarch will play in a Final 4 in eight seasons.
Monarch (25-1) avenged its only loss of the season which was against the Raiders (17-9) as it was led by Amelia Rosin, who finished with a double-double, 16 points and 13 rebounds. Three other Coyotes finished in double-figures as point guard Natalie Guanella had 14 points, including an emphatic and-one to close out the third quarter, while both Arezo Safi and Hayley Luther each had 13.
“Revenge game, that’s what we kept saying (at practice),” Rosin said. “We were so pissed off that we lost last time and we knew we had to come out strong and beat them this time, and we had to beat them by a lot.”
The Coyotes will square off against the winner of Valor Christian-Arapahoe next week. 鈥� Brendan Ploen
10:05 a.m.: That’s it, as Monarch High School rode a sonic boom in scoring and turned a 12-point deficit into an 18-point win, as the No. 4 Coyotes defeated No. 12 Regis Jesuit 60-44 in the first Class 6A girls quarterfinal of the day.For the first time in eight years, MoHi will play in a Final Four. If this team can turn around a deficit like that, watch out Class 6A. 鈥� Brendan Ploen
9:49 a.m.: What a third period from MoHi.
Natalie Guanella caps an emphatic quarter with an and-one after a hard drive to the bucket. The result? Bedlam for Coyotes fans. MoHi leads Regis 46-38 after trailing by as many as 12 in the first quarter. 鈥� Brendan Ploen
9:36 a.m.: Monarch fans are bringing the energy so far. Amelia Rosin gets her own miss and puts it back up for two points and the Coyotes have their first lead of the game midway through the third quarter. Timeout, Regis Jesuit, Monarch has a 35-33 lead. 鈥� Brendan Ploen
9:20 a.m.: It’s halftime of the opening game for the CHSAA girls Class 6A quarterfinals between No. 4 Monarch and No. 12 Regis Jesuit here on Day 3 in the Coliseum.
After trailing by as much as 12 in the second quarter, Monarch went on a 15-3 run to chop the deficit to three at 28-25 with 2:25 left in the half. Now at halftime that deficit is down to just two, as the Raiders lead 33-31 as the Coyotes outscored them in the second quarter 19-8. 鈥� Brendan Ploen
8:45 a.m. 鈥� We鈥檙e about to tip things off for Day 3 inside Denver Coliseum. The final day of quarterfinal play begins with No. 12 Regis Jesuit taking on No. 4 Monarch (24-1) in the Class 6A girls quarterfinals. Monarch is trying to avenge its lone loss of the season (50-36 at Regis) and qualify for the Final 4 for the first time in eight years. 鈥� Matt Schubert
Results
Class 6A boys
- No. 5 Smoky Hill (20-5) vs. No. 4 Denver East (23-2), 10:15 a.m.
- No. 6 Fort Collins (22-3) vs. No. 3 Fossil Ridge (23-2), 1:15 p.m.
- No. 1 Mountain Vista (23-2) vs. No. 8 Valor Christian (18-7), 5:30 p.m.
- No. 2 Rock Canyon (23-2) vs. No. 7 Regis Jesuit (19-6), 8:30 p.m.
Class 6A girls
- No. 12 Regis Jesuit (17-8) vs. No. 4 Monarch (24-1), 8:45 a.m.
- No. 11 Grandview (16-9) vs. No. 3 Highlands Ranch (22-3), 11:45 a.m.
- No. 1 Valor Christian (22-2) vs. No. 8 Arapahoe (19-6), 4 p.m.
- No. 2 Cherry Creek (21-4) vs. No. 7 Doherty (19-6), 7 p.m.
Live blog
If you can’t see the live blog, .
[scribble src=”/event/3026187″ /]
