Basketball Recap: Highlands Ranch Now 13-1 over Last 14 Games

Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Highlands Ranch walked away with it. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 54-52 win over the Cherokee Trail Cougars on Wednesday. For the Falcons, this counts as revenge for the 54-30 victory the Cougars walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2024.

Tori Baker

Steals

03/05/25 vs Cherokee Trail	6
03/01/25 vs Chaparral	2
02/21/25 vs ThunderRidge	2
02/18/25 @ Legend	3
02/14/25 vs Rock Canyon	6

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Highlands Ranch to victory, but perhaps none more so than Tori Baker, who posted 18 points and six steals. Baker has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last five times she's played. Ezra Simonich was another key player, putting up 17 points and seven boards.

When it comes to explaining why Cherokee Trail lost, don't look at Aaliyah Broadus. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds. Broadus is becoming a predictor of Cherokee Trail's success: when she posts at least 15 points the team is 8-2 (and 7-8 when she doesn't). Another player making a difference was Madeline Gibbs, who had 12 points.

Highlands Ranch is on a roll lately: they've won 13 of their last 14 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.5 points over those games. Cherokee Trail's loss dropped their record down to 15-10.

Coming up, it'll be a Battle of the Birds when Highlands Ranch Falcons face off against Riverdale Ridge Ravens at 8:45 a.m. on Saturday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Riverdale Ridge sitting on 13 straight wins and Highlands Ranch on six. Cherokee Trail does not have any more games scheduled as of now.