Top 10 Colorado high school girls basketball games as the season nears its end

Across all five classifications there are several games that will impact the postseason picture across the state. Here are 10 games that fans should keep an eye on as the 2021-22 regular season reaches its conclusion.

Class 5A
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) at Ralston Valley (Arvada), Feb. 4, Noon.
This game could be played with the 5A Jeffco title on the line. Valor is seen by many as the top team in the state, so the Eagles will look to reaffirm their status, while the Mustangs have a chance to prove otherwise.

Raegan Beers has put together a season worthy of crowning her the player of the year. She is averaging 21 points and 14 rebounds per game. She has been held to fewer than 10 rebounds just twice this season. She recently put together arguably her best performance of the season as she scored 35 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a win over Mullen on Jan. 14. Macey Huard and Quinn Vansickle are both averaging 12 points on the season.

Ralston Valley has stumbled a few times, but has established itself as a top team in 5A. Saya Sabus is one of the best guards in the state, as she averages 16.7 points and 3.8 assists. Sophia Sabus is quickly following in her sister's footsteps as scores 11.8 points and grabs 5.8 rebounds per game. Those two will have to be at the top of their game to lead the Mustangs to a win over Valor.

Monarch (Louisville) at Columbine (Littleton), Feb. 14, 7 p.m.
Monarch has been one of the more surprising teams in 5A and has one more non-league test remaining in Columbine midway through February. This won't have league implications, but the winner should receive a prime seeding spot when postseason brackets are released.

The Coyotes have received a breakout season from junior Amelia Rosin, who is averaging nearly a double-double with 12.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Fellow junior Natalie Guanella is also having a noteworthy year as she leads the team in scoring with 17.7 points per game to go with a team-high 2.9 steals.

Columbine's 9-5 record is a bit deceiving considering the Rebels have played one of the toughest schedules in the state. They've gone out of state, seen Valor Christian (twice) and also played games against Ralston Valley and Regis Jesuit (Aurora). Sophomore Elizabeth Gentry has emerged as a top-tier player as she averages 12.9 points and 9.6 rebounds, both of which are team bests.

Class 5A/4A
Grandview (Aurora) at Mullen (Denver), Jan. 29, 2:30 p.m.
There is little doubt Grandview will be out for revenge after Mullen took the first meeting on Jan. 5. Gracie Gallegos went crazy in the game, scoring 21 points. Twelve came from long range as she went 4-for-6 from 3-point range. A repeat performance could help the Mustangs get the season sweep over the Wolves.

Of course, the Mustangs can't just count on Gallegos to have a repeat performance. Although the team played well, they may need bigger contributions from seniors Kilah Freelon (13.3 points) and Imani Perez (8.3 points, 8.8 rebounds) to get the job done.

Having the top recruit in the nation can give the Wolves a little bit of an edge. Lauren Betts scored 17 points in the first game against Mullen but was held to just five rebounds. Since then, she's averaging more than 10 rebounds per game and accumulated two double-doubles, which came in wins over Valor Christian and Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village).

Class 4A
Windsor at Mead (Longmont), Jan. 28, 5:30 p.m.
Fundamental team basketball has served Windsor well once again this season. The Wizards have distributed their scoring, and no one player is putting themselves above anyone else when it comes to stats over wins. This could be the deciding game when it comes to the 5A/4A Northern League regular-season championship.

The Wizards score 65.1 points as a team this season, but only two players average double figures. Olivia Reed leads the team with 11 points per game, while Mykaela Moore adds 10.2. Rebounds are a similar story as Reed has a team-high 7.5, but the team as a whole grabs more than 30 boards per game.

Maddox Boston sets the tone offensively for Mead, netting 15.1 points per game. Kyra Haan adds 11.4 points but has become such a crucial piece of the team on the defensive side of the ball. She grabs a team-high 4.6 steals per game.

Class 3A
Platte Valley (Kersey) at Eaton, Feb. 8, 7 p.m.
The Patriot League title might be the hardest league championship to win this season, and this showdown between two of the top teams in 3A should provide a definitive favorite. Neither team has suffered a loss this season and both could remain undefeated heading into this game.

The Schissler sisters that were so vital to the Broncos state championship win last year are once again playing at a high level. Cora Schissler leads the team with 17.6 points per game while Andi Schissler adds 13.4 to go with a team-high 6.3 rebounds. Brooke Bunting has evolved into an all-around contributor as she scores 10.8 points, grabs 5.5 rebounds, hands out 5.5 assists and gets 4.4 steals per game.

Eaton is more reliant on one scorer in Ahana Leffler, who nets 15.5 points per game. Leyah Scott and Emily Maske each add 7.5 points per game, and Maske also leads the team in rebounds at 5.6.

St. Mary's (Colorado Springs) at The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs), Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
The Tri-Peaks championship could be in the mix here as the Coursers and Pirates have played very well against league opponents.

St. Mary's is looking more like the team it was just a few years ago when it was winning state championships. Maeve Salveson is leading the team with 17.1 points per game. Seniors Ellie Hartman and Payton Kutz also average double-figures and provide the experience of how to compete for a state title.

The Vanguard has been a team on the rise in recent years. The Coursers went undefeated in the regular season last year and made it to the state semifinals before falling to Lutheran (Parker). They look just as strong this season as Juliana Garcia is averaging 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds. Hailey Blanchard is also a scoring threat at 11.6 points per game. Her 5.1 assists are a team-high.

Class 2A
Holyoke at Sedgwick County (Julesburg), Jan. 28, 5:30 p.m.
A potential state championship preview, the Dragons and Cougars both made the 2A playoffs last year but neither could advance to the semifinals. They both have big ambitions for this season, and this game will provide a momentum boost to the winner.

Kristin Vieselmeyer has had a remarkable senior campaign and is averaging 19 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Dragons. Her 11 double-doubles are tied for third-most in the state, regardless of classification. She scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a Jan. 22 win over defending champion Limon.

The Cougars will counter Vieselmeyer with a triple-threat offensive attack. Alison Woodhams leads Sedgwick County at 13.8 points per game, but Jensen Renquist and Kierra Ehnes each average double-figures as well. Ehnes leads the team in rebounds at 8.3 per game.

Rye at Hoehne, Feb. 8, 6 p.m.
This game could very well decide the 2A Santa Fe League championship. Both teams are still unbeaten in league play and playing some of their best basketball of the season.

Rye has not been shy about scoring points as they average 64.8 per game as a team. Sydney Adamson leads the team with 21.3 points per game, while Sophie Adamson is right behind her at 19.7. Sophie also leads the team in rebounding with 6.7 per game. They have been a tough duo to beat so far this season.

The Farmers don't quite have the same scoring numbers as Rye, but they have a solid core that can put up points when needed. Sophomore Trinity Martin nearly averages a double-double at 10.5 points and nine rebounds per game. Nevaeh Martinez adds 10.2 points and leads the team with 3.9 steals per game.

Class 1A
Fleming at Briggsdale, Jan. 29, 2 p.m.
Something has to give when the state's top two teams clash this weekend. Both teams are likely to enter the game unbeaten, and this could serve as a potential state championship game preview.

The Falcons have looked dominant all season and a big part of that is the dominant scoring duo of Kylie Krise and Jenna Krise. The sisters each average double-digit scoring numbers with Kylie leading the way with 22.3 points per game. She also pulls down a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game. She scored a season-high 27 points against defending champion Flatirons Academy back on Dec. 17.

Whitney Chintala is the tone-setter for Fleming as she scores 15.3 points, dishes out 3.3 assists and swipes 3.6 steals per game, all team highs. Madi Serrato adds 10.9 points, while Kally Kirkwood averages 9.8 per game. The Wildcats reached the 1A title game last season and know a win over Briggsdale is crucial in their hopes to getting back there.

McClave at Cheyenne Wells, Feb. 3, 4 p.m.
Both teams got off to a good start in league play, and this will be a crucial matchup in the league championship picture. McClave has yet to lose to an in-state opponent while Cheyenne Wells is looking to rebound from a recent loss to Kiowa.

The Cardinals are riding senior leadership as Anna Beckett leads the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and rebounds at six per game. Maggie Chase is also crucial in both categories as she totals 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

The Tigers are different in the sense they rely on a standout freshman for the bulk of their scoring. Paige Ryser leads the team with 12.4 points per game and has also been big on the defensive side as she totals 5.1 steals per game. Sydney Dickey provides a healthy scoring balance as she nets 8.2 points per game.