Colorado No. 1 Highlands Ranch wins girls state crown

BOUDLER, Colo. - While Colorado's lone nationally-recognized girls basketball team avoided a third consecutive upset exit in the state tournament Friday night, the state's most notable non-Class 5A school won its unprecedented fifth consecutive state title.

Highlands Ranch (Colo.) captured the big-school crown - it marked the Falcons' seventh title since 2000 - holding off youthful Regis Jesuit (Aurora) 67-50 at the Coors Events Center. Broomfield, meanwhile, became the state's first girls program to win five straight with a 48-38 overtime win against top-seeded Longmont in the 4A final.

Highlands Ranch (25-3), which did not lose an in-state contest and is ranked No. 1 in Colorado by MaxPreps, trailed after the first quarter but eventually pulled away from a Regis Jesuit squad it defeated by a similar 71-51 tally in Continental League play last month.

"They never wavered in their conviction to the system," Falcons coach Caryn Jarocki said. "Their belief in the system is what won the state championship."

University of San Diego recruit Katelyn McDaniel led the Highlands Ranch with 24 points and 13 rebounds and point guard Michaela Neuhaus added 16 points, helping the Falcons avenge unexpected losses to Denver East in last season's quarterfinals and to Monarch in the 2009 semifinals.

"I think it's the sweetest, going out with one of these," McDaniel said. "With all of us seniors going off to college, I think we really needed this. The years before we've always been upset, and I think keeping strong and being able to keep focused the whole season was pretty special."

Regis reached the final despite losing heavily recruited junior post Katie Heckman in the third game of the season and senior forward Colleen Rooney in the Sweet 16, both to knee injuries. The Raiders (20-8) featured seven freshmen, two sophomores and two juniors in the final rounds but somehow played at peak efficiency.

"They're going to be a heck of a team," Jarocki said. "Well, they're already a heck of a team. In the next couple years, look out."

Point guard Marquelle Dent led the Raiders with 14 points, her only sub-20 performance in the last four rounds of the tourney.

Broomfield was propelled to the five-peat by the late efforts of freshman guard Bre Wilberd, who was scoreless entering the fourth quarter but finished with 13. She nailed four clutch free throws in the fourth to help force overtime, then, after drilling the go-ahead three-pointer in OT, sealed things with six more free throws (she finished 10-for-10 at the line).

"I didn't want to freak out when I wasn't hitting my shots, but I didn't want to let anyone down, either," Wilber said. "I was getting frustrated by not making any of my layups, but when it came down to the fourth quarter, I needed to get it out of my head that I was struggling."

Broomfield (25-3) defeated Longmont 55-47 for the crown last season, and the Northern League rivals split the regular-season series 1-1, which made overtime fitting.

Longmont's big three of Jamie Katuna, Megan Carpenter and Tambre Haddock were held in check (a combined 30 points), with Haddock leading the Trojans with 13 points.

"It's been a great run; in the last three years they've lost nine ballgames now," Longmont coach Jay Darien said. "It's tough and this one is going to stick with them. But it is sports and it is life and the sun is going to come up tomorrow."

Haddock put Longmont (26-2) up 33-32 with two free throws with 27 seconds remaining in regulation, and an Amber Thornholt foul shot with 15 seconds to go pushed the lead to two points. The Eagles forced OT on Bre Burgesser's putback with five seconds to play.

Broomfield scored 12 of the game's final 13 points to cap the lone season in the title run in which the Eagles weren't the overwhelming favorite. Many believed Longmont, with Katuna (who will play at San Francisco) and the 6-foot-5 Carpenter (Oregon), was the superior team.

"They're all exciting and they're all fun," Broomfield coach Mike Croell said of the titles. "I'm just happy to see our seniors go out the door with a state championship. I don't think any one of them was the one who wanted to let it go."

Burgesser, Katie Nehf and Tyana Medema, all starters for the Eagles, will graduate.