Baylee Purdy of Deer Trail (Deer Trail, Colo.) had an idea what to expect as the girls basketball season got underway. And, those expectations have proven to be right on the money.
Opposing defenses knew, too, who they were going to be up against. As a result the Deer Trail sophomore has had to fight though double- and triple-team defenses. Still, defenders have had their hands full stopping the 5-foot-7 guard from getting her points and only a few have been able to slow her down.
Purdy leads the state in scoring this season, regardless of classification, with a 27.2 average. She also is second in steals with 5.1 a game. But Deer Trail, which went 25-2 last season and won the state Class A consolation championship, has struggled to an 8-8 mark.
"I think I've actually been able to do pretty well overall," said Purdy, who also averages 6.8 rebounds a game. "We are rebuilding a lot as a team. I did expect the double and triple team and the box-and-one defenses against me. But my teammates have helped me so much. I work to find the open girl and when I get free, they get me the ball."
Purdy's top effort this season was 40 points in a 53-28 victory against Hyland Christian of Westminster. Her low point total was 10 against No. 1-ranked Merino in a 52-15 loss. Yet, she also leads Class A in three-pointers, hitting 2.1 a game.
"Merino was real tough, kind of like we were last season," said Purdy, who has had four games with eight or more steals this season. "They have one of the best defenses that we have played against and they were aggressive against me, too. I think I learned a lot by playing against them this year and that helps me even more on what to expect."
Deer Trail coach Aaron Dille also had a good idea of what Purdy, who is hitting 54 percent from the field this season, was going to face from the opposition.
"Baylee has certainly seen a lot of defensive efforts against her this season," Dille said. "She is used to it and they don't always stop her, as her production shows. We can post her up or play her on the outside. She finds the open girl when she's covered, and the girls now know how to screen for her.
"Her teammates deserve a lot of credit for her success and she will tell you that," Dille said. "We are a young team, no seniors. Our starting lineup includes one other sophomore, Gina Hrelga, her freshman sister, Angie, and juniors Tiffany Miller and Kayla Owens. We're in a tough league (Union Pacific), but the kids have responded well. We have some exciting eighth graders coming up so our future looks bright again."
Purdy, who averaged 17.5 points a game last season as a freshman, would like to continue to play in college when the time comes.
"I would like to play Division I if possible," Purdy said. "But a college choice is a couple of years off, so we'll have to see how it goes. Right now the focus in on getting through the season. We have some tough games ahead, especially Genoa-Hugo and Stratton, but we have been improving. I think when districts get here, we will know what to do."
Balance in the lineup
The Faith Christian (Arvada, Colo.) and Jefferson Academy (Broomfield, Colo.) boys teams are both 16-0 and they are each winning without having a player among the state scoring leaders. Definitely, balance has been the key to their success.
Faith Christian, ranked No. 1 in 3A, is led in scoring by Hayden Loudenslager, who scores 12.9 points a game, and Joel Hegarty, who averages 12.8. No other player on the team averages more than 8.4. Tommy Olson is the leading scorer for Jefferson Academy, ranked No. 2 in 3A, with a modest 13.6 average. Second in scoring for the Jaguars is David Burkel, who is hitting 11.2 points an outing.
Out of the clouds
Love Christian Fellowship (Denver, Colo.) is not yet a member of the Colorado High School Activities Association, but the boys basketball team does have the player who is No. 1 in the state in scoring on the MaxPreps leaderboards.
Kavean McCloud missed the first 10 games of the season and his team suffered, losing its first 11. However, they have gone 8-2 since he hit the court, behind his 27.7 points a game. He also is averaging 10 assists, 4.3 steals and 4.0 rebounds a game. The school plays in the Front Range Christian League, and although it is not a member of CHSAA it does play against several CHSAA member schools.
Tip-ins: University's Danielle Meier had 12 steals against Weld Central, to go with 25 points, to lead the Bulldogs to a 68-28 victory. She also had eight rebounds and eight assists...The Eaton girls got off to an incredible 18-0 start against Estes Park, but the Reds went cold from there and scored only six points through the remainder of the first half. As a result, Estes Park pulled out a 61-49 victory...The Erie girls went 19-for-19 at the free-throw line last Friday in the Tigers 48-29 victory against Valley.
