The semifinals of the Colorado high school basketball state tournaments for Class 6A and 5A girls take place Thursday at Denver Coliseum. Our staff will be there providing live coverage. Refresh this page for the latest updates and results.
Tournament info: Tournament brackets and results | Sienna Betts named Gatorade finalist | Kent Denver’s “Run Devils” | Girls basketball’s golden age | More preps news
Updates
Class 5A girls final: No. 1 Air Academy 68, No. 5 Green Mountain 63
After two years of heartbreak, the Air Academy Kadets found a way to finish. And now, they are one win away from perfection.
With outside shooters Lydia Flowers and Audrina Nelson hitting early, and Kinley Asp sinking just enough free throws late, the Kadets advanced to a 5A title showdown with No. 6 Mullen and a shot at their first championship in 13 years.
Air Academy (26-0) led by as many as 16 points in the first half as Flowers (18 points) and Nelson (17 points) caught fire early with 10 points apiece.
But Green Mountain, led by Ella Cockrum (12 points) and Peyton Coil (12 points), refused to go away, eventually pulling within four points with 15 seconds to go. But with Asp burying 6 of 10 from the free throw line in the game’s last three minutes to finish with 13 points, the Rams (24-3) ran out of time.
Air Academy saw each of its last two seasons end with gut-wrenching losses in the Coliseum that saw them squander double-digit leads. This time, the Kadets are marching on. — Matt Schubert
8:55 p.m.: It appears Air Academy is content to run the clock. After burning nearly a minute off the clock, Kinley Asp misses a pair of free throws. And then Ella Cockrum swoops to the lane for a lefty lay-in to pull the Rams within 59-54 with 2:13 to go. The Kadets, once again, are hanging on for dear life.
8:51 p.m.: Green Mountain is as close as its been all half after Ella Cockrum buries a 3-pointer from the wing with 3:36 left. The Air Academy lead is now 59-52, and the Kadets have the ball. — Matt Schubert
8:45 p.m.: Green Mountain has cut the deficit to eight yet again with 5:37 to play. Air Academy has blown double-digit leads in season-ending losses two years in a row inside Denver Coliseum. The pressure is on. — Matt Schubert
8:40 p.m.: Air Academy kept Green Mountain at arm’s length throughout the fourth quarter. After the Rams fail to get up a shot at the buzzer, the Kadets lead 50-39 and are eight minutes away from their first title game appearance since 2012. — Matt Schubert
8:35 p.m.: Green Mountain keeps attempting to mount a charge. And after a leak-out bucket from Julia Schafer has shaved the Air Academy lead to single digits for the third time this quarter, 46-38, with 2:33 left in the third frame. — Matt Schubert
8:14 p.m.: Green Mountain has found its footing on the offensive end, but with Air Academy snapping the ball around on the other end, the Rams aren’t gaining any ground.
The Kadets lead has mushroomed to 37-25 at the halftime break, with Lydia Flowers (14 points) and Audrina Nelson (10 points) leading the charge. Peyton Coil’s layup and Kantyn Pearson’s steal and bucket off a missed Coil free throw at the buzzer was a nice burst for the Rams in the final 10 seconds of the half. There just haven’t been enough of them for Green Mountain thus far.
The Kadets shot 52.2% from the field and 66.7% from 3 (4 of 6) in the first half. That’s enough to overcome a 9-4 gap in turnovers. — Matt Schubert
8:01 p.m.: Audrina Nelson is now at three 3s for the game, and Air Academy has pushed its lead to 27-13 with 5:46 left in the second quarter. The Kadets’ length is giving Green Mountain problems on the offensive end. The Rams have yet to score in the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
7:55 p.m.: Air Academy looking very much like the No. 1 seed early on. Four different players have scored and the lead is 21-13 entering the second quarter. The Kadets have serious firepower. — Matt Schubert
7:46 p.m.: The Air Academy offensive machine is revved up and rolling. Audrina Nelson buried a pair of 3-pointers in the game’s first three minutes, and the Kadets lead 12-7 with 3:32 left in the first quarter.
Class 5A girls final: No. 6 Mullen 44, No. 2 Mead 30
Defense travels. Especially at Denver Coliseum.
The Mullen Mustangs brought theirs to downtown Denver, and they’re headed back to the championship round for the first time in three years because of it.
Junior Chloe Pelster scored a game-high 14 points (seven in the fourth); senior Tatum Jones added 12 points, nine rebounds and three steals; and Mullen limited Mead to 23.4% shooting with 20 turnovers to move a win from the program’s fourth state title since 2019.
The Mavericks (23-4) went more than 12 minutes without a basket between the first and third quarters as an 8-6 lead turned into a 21-10 Mullen edge early in the third.
Both teams struggled to score from the field, but Mullen (18-9) hit 18 of 24 from the free-throw line and did just enough offensively (30.0% shooting) to keep Mead at bay.
Twice Mead trimmed the lead to eight points in the fourth quarter, but both times Pelster answered with baskets. The first came on the end of an impressive press break. The second was a corner 3 that essentially put the game away. — Matt Schubert
7:12 p.m.: Mead has trimmed the Mullen lead to eight points twice in the fourth quarter. Both times Chloe Pelster has answered with buckets. The first was a fast break lay-ion, and the second a corner 3. It’s 39-28 with 3:24 to go. — Matt Schubert
6:59 p.m.: Caroline Kron’s first 3-pointer of the night with 48 seconds left in the third quarter is also Mead’s as a team. The wing triple draws Mead within 10 at 32-22 entering the fourth quarter. Something’s gotta change quick if the Mavs’ season is gonna survive the evening. — Matt Schubert
6:50 p.m.: Mead’s long drought is over. The Mavericks sank three baskets in the first four minutes of the third quarter but still trail Mullen 25-16. — Matt Schubert
6:40 p.m.: Mullen’s Keaton Arangua-Egbert is all over the place defensively with three steals, two of which directly led to buckets. The Mustangs’ length is making life difficult overall on Mead, which cannot buy a bucket inside and has turned the ball over 11 times.
The Mavericks’ last field goal came with 2:18 left in the first quarter — a period of 10 minutes, 18 seconds of game time that’s seen Mullen turn an 8-6 deficit into a 21-10 edge at halftime.
Mullen’s work at the free throw line (11 of 14) has thus far made up for a dreadful 22.7% shooting effort from the field. Mead, meanwhile, is 4 of 23. The leading scorer, senior post Tatum Jones, has six points … all from the free throw line. — Matt Schubert
6:15 p.m.: Mead is starting to find some rhythm on the offensive end, Madi Clark and Elena Gomez score in the paint on back-to-back scores for the Mavs to take an 8-6 lead. And the Mullen offense is having real issues getting into its offense with four turnovers. A steal and basket for Mullen’s Keaton Arangua-Egbert ties the score at 8 just before the first quarter buzzer. — Matt Schubert
6:06 p.m.: Neither team can finish around the basket. It took two and a half minutes for either team to score, and Mullen still doesn’t have a field goal. It’s 2-2 at the 4:50 mark of the first quarter.
Class 6A boys final: No. 5 Valor Christian 61, No. 1 Rangeview 51
In the least surprising update of Thursday’s Final Four games at Denver Coliseum, Cole Scherer stole the show on the big stage.
The reigning Mr. Colorado Basketball poured in 39 points, surpassing the 2,000-career point mark in the fourth quarter, as defending champion Valor Christian ended Rangeview’s perfect season.
Raiders star LaDavian King also had a good game, posting a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but Scherer’s scoring was the game’s X-factor as Valor Christian led for all but 41 seconds.
“We played well as a team tonight and took what they gave us,” Scherer said. “My teammates kept feeding me the ball because I had the hot hand, and we kept on rolling. We focused on defense, got stops when we needed to and got out in transition.”
Scherer called reaching the 2K point mark “a result of a lot of the work that no one sees.” On Friday, he was 10 of 20 from the field, including 3 of 7 from distance and a perfect 16 of 16 from the charity stripe.
Senior forward Brady Wynja also contributed with 9 points and 7 rebounds. Rangeview’s best auxiliary performance came from freshman post Marceles Duncan, who had 7 points and 4 rebounds.
“(King) is a great player, and he had a great game,” Scherer said. “It was fun going back-and-forth with him.”
Rangeview took a 49-47 lead with 6:22 left in the fourth, but Valor Christian closed the game on a 14-2 run featuring 9 points by Scherer.
“We tightened the screws at the end to get it done,” Wynja said.
The Raiders finished 26-1, while Valor Christian improved to 23-4 and will face Eaglecrest on Saturday to defend its crown.
— Kyle Newman
5:43 p.m.: Cole Scherer pours in 39 points, surpassing the 2,000 career point mark, to end Rangeview’s undefeated season. The Raiders finish 26-1, while Valor Christian improves to 23-4 to get back to the title game to defend its title. — Kyle Newman
5:29 p.m.: Cole Scherer hits a free throw on an and-one to give him his 2,000th career point. It also puts Valor Christian up 54-49 with 3:14 to play. — Kyle Newman
5:18 p.m.: Valor Christian leads 47-43 heading into the fourth. Cole Scherer has 30 points, LaDavian King has 17. Can King lead a push to get Rangeview to the title game, or will reigning Mr. Colorado Basketball Scherer seal the deal for the defending champions? — Kyle Newman
5:13 p.m.: At 3:26 mark in the third, Rangeview takes its first lead, 41-39, off an inverse three-point play by LaDavian King. He hit his first three throw, missed the second, got his own rebound and put it back for a bucket. Cole Scherer immediately responds at the other end with a 3 to re-take the lead for Valor Christian. Scherer has 28 points, and is 7 points away from 2,000 on his career. — Kyle Newman
4:49 p.m.: We’ve got ourselves a ballgame. Valor Christian leads 30-27 at the half. Cole Scherer leads all scorers with 18 points. He’s been hitting from deep, finishing at the rim and converting his free throws. LaDavian King has 11 points for Rangeview, but is playing with two fouls. He’ll have to be smart about his aggressiveness in the second half. — Kyle Newman
4:37 p.m.: Valor Christian is controlling the momentum early, with a 19-13 lead after one quarter. Both teams’ stars are off to a good start, with 7 points apiece for the Eagles’ Cole Scherer and the Raiders’ LaDavian King. — Kyle Newman
Class 6A girls final: No. 7 Legend 59, No. 14 Riverdale Ridge 50
Legend’s balancing act has it playing in the first state title game. Led by Boise State commit Mason Borcherding’s 17 points, the Titans took a big early lead and then fended off several runs by the Ravens.
The Titans will face No. 1 Grandview in the championship game on Saturday afternoon.
Aubrey Cook, playing a key role in the post, especially when Borcherding was on the bench with four fouls late in the third quarter, added 10 points and six rebounds.
Riverdale Ridge star junior Brihanna Crittendon played with a stomach bug, which included fever and vomiting. She held an ice pack on her neck during timeouts. Still, Crittendon played 31 minutes and scored 26 points.
The Titans, who collapsed against Regis Jesuit in last year’s semifinals, also received a nine-point, nine-rebound performance from Maley Wilhelm. — Patrick Saunders
4:02 p.m.: The Titans are headed to their first state championship game.
The Titans, who collapsed against Regis Jesuit in last year’s semifinals, used a balanced attack to ward off Riverdale Ridgers and talented junior Brihanna Crittendon.
Legend will take on No. 1 Grandview at 1:15 p.m. Saturday. — Patrick Saunders
3:54 p.m.: Maile Starnes’ driving layup with 2:10 puts Legend up by 10 — 51-41 — with 2:15 to go. The Titans are on their way to the Class 6A title game on Saturday against No. 1 Grandview. — Patrick Saunders
3:41: Legend is back in control, leading 47-41, as we enter the fourth quarter. The Titans are getting balanced scoring, with five players with at least six points. — Patrick Saunders
3:34: The Ravens have come all the way back to tie the game, 37-37, with 4:12 left in the third quarter. Brihanna Crittendon’s highlight-reel drive to the hoop gives her 16 points and ties the game. — Patrick Saunders
3:27 p.m.: Riverdale Ridge star junior Brihanna Crittendon did not participate in second-half warmups and had an icepack on her neck. It appears that something is not quite right, but she is out on the floor to start the third quarter with Legend leading 37-30. — Patrick Saunders
3:18 p.m.: Legend, led by Mason Borcherding (10 points) and Maley Wilhelm (nine), holds a 37-30 lead at the half.
It’s been a terrific game thus far, with both teams shooting well from long distance. The winner will face No. 1 Grandview for the state championship on Saturday. — Patrick Saunders
3:15 p.m.: Back comes Riverdale, with Brihanna Crittendon back on the court and starting to take over. She has 12 points. But Legend leads 35-28. The Titans are 13 of 24 from the floor. — Patrick Saunders
2:57 p.m.: Legend is threatening to blow the game open. The Titans lead 23-6 with 1:50 left in the first. Mason Borcherding has made all three of her 3-pointers and has seven points. — Patrick Saunders
2:50 p.m.: A problematic early development for Riverdale, which finds itself down 12-5 early in the first quarter. Star junior Brihanna Crittendon left the game, and went to the training room as her team struggles to keep up with Legend.
Crittendon returns with 3:34 left in the quarter. — Patrick Saunders
Class 6A boys: No. 2 Eaglecrest 79, No. 6 Mountain Vista 69 (OT)
2:25 p.m.: The Raptors are headed back to the championship game for the fourth time, and first since 2017, with a thrilling overtime victory over Mountain Vista. Ant Nettles led all scorers with 25 points, while Cal Baskind paced Mountain Vista with 21 points. Heartbreaking loss for Mountain Vista, which falls to 0-5 in the Final 4 all-time after the Raptors blitzed them in overtime.
The Raptors play the winner of No. 1 Rangeview/No. 5 Valor Christian for the chance at their third title. Eaglecrest improves to 25-2, while Mountain Vista finishes 21-6. – Kyle Newman
2:08 p.m.: Free basketball!
Eaglecrest was down two and had the ball with under a minute left with a chance to tie it, but a feed pass into Garrett Barger in the post went through the big man’s hands for a turnover. Then with 12.4 seconds left from the Golden Eagles’ offensive baseline, Mountain Vista throws the inbound pass away into the hands of Ant Nettles. The Raptors call timeout, and Nettles penetrates the left side of the lane and hits a running floater. Cal Baskind’s halfcourt heave at the buzzer misses right. 57-57 heading into the four-minute OT frame. — Kyle Newman
1:53 p.m.: It’s been back-and-forth all second half. With 2:30 left, the score is tied 53-53. Eaglecrest has there players in double figures (Ant Nettles, Kris Coleman, Garrett Barger) and Mountain Vista has two (Cal Baskind, Oliver Junker). — Kyle Newman
1:34 p.m.: A few minutes into the third quarter, and both impactful big men — Eaglecrest’s Garrett Barger and Mountain Vista’s Oliver Junker — have three fouls. Mountain Vista leads 38-36. — Kyle Newman
1:21 p.m.: Eaglecrest has roared back, cutting the Mountain Vista lead to 33-32 heading into halftime. Cal Baskind leads Mountain Vista with 11 points, while Garrett Barger also has the same amount for Eaglecrest. — Kyle Newman
1:04 p.m.: Two minutes into the second quarter, Garrett Barger has a sweet tip-in to cut the lead to 7 points. But then Oliver Junker came right down the floor and dunked it, had a block on the other end, and the Golden Eagles picked up another bucket to stretch the lead to 24-13. — Kyle Newman
1:01 p.m.: Mountain Vista leads 18-9 after one quarter. Eaglecrest is rushing on offense and hasn’t been able to consistently finish around the rim. Hence the Raptors’ deficit. — Kyle Newman
12:50 p.m.: Mountain Vista jumps out to a 9-1 lead, prompting an Eaglecrest timeout. The Golden Eagles are hype coming to the bench, but head coach Brian Wood, is more muted, motioning for his players to remain even-keeled as they search for their first state title appearance. — Kyle Newman
12:45 p.m.: The first boys game of the day tips off. Eaglecrest beat Mountain Vista 69-66 on Jan. 14 in Centennial. Expect another close game between two evenly matched teams. — Kyle Newman
Class 6A girls final: No. 1 Grandview 39, No. 5 Pine Creek 35
12:17: Grandview hangs on. Heads to its third championship game in four seasons. — Patrick Saunders
12:14 p.m.: With 17.3 seconds left, Grandview is clinging to a 37-33 lead. — Patrick Saunders
11:52 a.m.: Pine Creek point guard LeeKaya Burke-Perryman makes a nifty steal and turns it into an uncontested layup as the Eagles close the gap to 32-26 entering the final quarter. — Patrick Saunders
11:47 a.m.: Even though Grandview’s offense has been out of synch, Betts’ power game inside has the Wolves ahead, 30-24 with 2:47 left in the third quarter. Betts, 7 of 9 from the floor, leads all scorers with 15 points. — Patrick Saunders
11:28 a.m.: A terrific game is brewing at the Coliseum. The No. 1 Grandview, sparked by Deija Roberson and Sienna Betts, has roared back to take a 23-22 lead at halftime. The pace has been frenetic.
Roberson has nine points, two rebounds and two assists. The UCLA-bound Betts, a Gatorade Player of the Year finalist, has 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting with five rebounds.
Oklahoma commit Brooklyn Stewart has been terrific for the Eagles. She’s nailed two 3-pointers en route to 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting. She has four rebounds.
11:15 a.m.: Pine Creek is not intimidated by Sienna Betts and the top-ranked Wolves. Brooklyn Stewart stuffed Betts’ first shot of the game and later hit a long-range 3-pointer as Pine Creek jumped out to an 11-2 lead.
But Betts scored six quick points and the Wolves cut the lead to 13-8 at the end of the first quarter. — Patrick Saunders
10:50 a.m.: At last, the Final Four has arrived. And the lid-lifter promises to be an epic.
On one side is McDonald’s All-American Sienna Betts and the Grandview Wolves. On the other: Oklahoma commit Brooklyn Stewart and the Pine Creek Eagles in their first state semifinal. It doesn’t get much better than this, folks. — Matt Schubert
Schedule and results
Class 6A boys
No. 2 Eaglecrest (24-2) vs. No. 6 Mountain Vista (21-5), 12:45 p.m.
No. 1 Rangeview (26-0) vs. No. 5 Valor Christian (22-4), 4 p.m.
Class 6A girls
No. 1 Grandview (23-3) vs. No. 5 Pine Creek (24-2), 11 a.m.
No. 7 Legend (21-5) vs. No. 14 Riverdale Ridge (21-5), 2:15 p.m.
Class 5A girls
No. 2 Mead (23-3) vs. No. 6 Mullen (17-9), 5:45 p.m.
No. 1 Air Academy (25-0) vs. No. 5 Green Mountain (24-2), 7:15 p.m.
