The quarterfinals of the Colorado high school basketball state tournaments for Classes 4A-6A take place Thursday through Saturday at Denver Coliseum. Our staff will be there throughout the weekend providing live coverage. Refresh this page for the latest updates and results.
Tournament info: Tournament brackets and results | 5A preview capsules | Day 1 coverage of 6A Great 8
Updates
Goodnight from the Coliseum: The second day of the CHSAA Great 8 is in the books. The 4A bracket is next on Saturday, with the rest of our Final Four squads set by the end of the night.
With all the 5A games now final, here’s your Final Four matchups for next Thursday inside Denver Coliseum:
Boys
No. 1 Northfield (24-2) vs. No. 4 Mesa Ridge (24-2)
No. 2 Vista PEAK Prep (22-4) vs. No. 3 Windsor (22-4)
Girls
No. 1 Air Academy (25-1) vs. No. 4 Northfield (23-3)
No. 2 Roosevelt (24-2) vs. No. 3 Mead (22-4)
Class 5A boys final: No. 2 Vista PEAK Prep 57, No. 7 Ponderosa 41
Make way for the Vista PEAK Prep freight train.
Riding a lockdown defensive performance that saw the Bison limit Ponderosa to eight points between the second and third quarters, the No. 2 seed steamrolled the Mustangs to advance to their first Final Four.
Six-foot-10 senior Kyree Polk took up ownership of the paint on both ends, registering 17 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks — one of which saw him rise to the top of the square to pin the ball against the backboard. Alante Monroe-Elazier (12), Julian Carrizales (11) and James Brown III (10) also scored in double figures to power the Vista PEAK Prep (22-4) rout. Next up: No. 3 Windsor on Thursday inside Denver Coliseum.
Ponderosa (17-9) made just three baskets in 16 minutes of game time between the start of the second and fourth quarters. In that time, what had been a 14-9 Ponderosa edge turned into a 42-19 Bison lead.
Vista PEAK Prep’s length inside proved too much for the Mustangs, who shot 31.4% from the field (16 of 51), to finish around the hoop. And with their shots not dropping from beyond the arc (6 of 22), either, the offense didn’t get going until it was way too late.
Noah Wilhelm led Ponderosa with 13 points.
9:37 p.m.: Kyree Polk goes to the top of the square for his fourth block of the night, the Bison finish another on the other end, and it’s good night, Ponderosa. The score is 42-19 going into the fourth quarter. What a performance from Vista PEAK Prep. — Matt Schubert
9:35 p.m.: Can I interest you in more Kyree Polk? The Vista PEAK Prep big man throws one down on a leak-out and the Bison are now ahead 38-19 with 1:36 left in the third quarter. Ponderosa has three baskets since the start of the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
9:25 p.m.: Welcome to the Kyree Polk show. The 6-foot-10 Vista PEAK Prep senior just dominated the first three-plus minutes of the third quarter with two putbacks, one block and a post-up bucket. Ponderosa broke a nine-minute scoring drought, but the Bison are cruising up 32-16. — Matt Schubert
9:12 p.m.: Make that a 15-0 Vista PEAK Prep run to close out the second quarter, with nine of those from Alante Monroe-Elazier, who just kept attacking Ponderosa off the dribble. He leads all scorers at the break with 10. Ponderosa hasn’t scored in the last 7:32 of game clock. The Bison lead 24-14. — Matt Schubert
9:06 p.m.: Alante Monroe-Elazier spins into the lane for a floater to punctuate a 9-0 VPP run. Suddenly, the Bison lead, 18-14 with less than three minutes to go in the second quarter. Monroe-Elazier had seven of the nine points on the run … which is still going. — Matt Schubert
8:58 p.m.: An entertaining first quarter saw neither team able to pull away from the other. The biggest lead so far? Ponderosa, 11-7. But James Brown III’s putback right before the buzzer drew Vista PEAK Prep to within 11-9 going into the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
8:45 p.m.: The nightcap has arrived here at Denver Coliseum. Last night’s was an all-timer. Can Vista PEAK Prep and Ponderosa match it? Here’s hoping the answer is yes. — Matt Schubert
Class 5A girls final: No. 2 Roosevelt 60, No. 7 Montrose 45
What do you do when a deadlock can’t be broken?
“Just stay positive,” said Enoch Miller, coach of the No. 2 Roosevelt girls basketball team. “I told the team, ‘Listen, we’re not going to lose this game.”
A message simple enough going into the final four minutes of the CHSAA 5A girls state basketball Great 8 game between Roosevelt and No. 7 Montrose. Positivity was definitely displayed in that stretch, as the Rough Riders went on a 17-1 run to stamp out any hopes of an upset from Montrose.
A 60-45 final score was nowhere near indicative of the razor-thin margins present in the first 28 minutes of the game. The whole way, neither team led by more than four points until right after Miller told his team to keep its head up.
Down two heading into the final frame, the Rough Riders didn’t pull away until Madison Moyers hit her third 3 of the game with four minutes left to put her team up by two possessions — the biggest lead of the half for either team up to that point.
Moyers had 13 points on the day, including some big free throws late, but the scoring came from all over. Four Rough Riders eclipsed double digits.
While the patient offensive production won the game late, Miller’s focus was more on his team putting together a defensive stand, which it did after not doing as well at it as he would have liked for most of the game.
“(Montrose) took care of the ball well, they did a great job,” Miller said. “So we just kind of had to put our heads down and get some stops. They adjusted well throughout the game, so we sat down and guarded.”
All four of the top seeds made it to the Final Four, including No. 3 Mead, which Roosevelt will face next Thursday, March 7, to continue its bid at repeating as 5A champions.
8:27 p.m.: Montrose’s upset hopes have been quelled by the aspiring repeaters Roosevelt thanks to patient offense and tough defense in the final four minutes, capped by two straight charges with less than 90 seconds left on the way to a 60-45 finish. The top four seeds survive, and the No. 2 Rough Riders will meet No. 3 Mead in the Final Four next week. -Braidon Nourse
8:15 p.m.: Moyers comes up huge from 3 again to put her Rough Riders up by two possessions. Immediately after, Montrose is called for a double dribble and the Red Hawks call time. Roosevelt’s 48-44 lead is the biggest of this half for either team. 4:02 remains. -Braidon Nourse
8:09 p.m.: Big shot from Roosevelt’s Madison Moyers. Two scoreless minutes from both teams to start the fourth quarter ends with Moyers’ second 3 of the game, and she takes the lead back for the Rough Riders. -Braidon Nourse
8:03 p.m.: Surprise, surprise, this game is still a back-and-forth treat of a Great 8 matchup. Neither team has really been able to break through, but No. 7 Montrose holds a 42-40 lead heading into the final frame with upset hopes largely in play. -Braidon Nourse
7:35 p.m.: Buzzer beater! Maggie Legg is on fire with 13 points and two absolutely wild shots. Roosevelt erased a four-point deficit and created their own four-point advantage, but Legg hit another long 3-pointer off glass at the horn to cut it to one. Roosevelt leads this slugfest 29-28 at the break. -Braidon Nourse
7:18 p.m.: All square at 14 after one quarter. Some back and forth, but this one is mostly as advertised: suffocating defense, but some good runs of offense from both teams. –Braidon Nourse
7:11 p.m.: Deja vu? The heavy favorite is down early again, just like the earlier matchup between Air Academy and Frederick. Montrose’s sophomore sensations Maggie Legg and Mayce Oberg have combined for 10 of the Red Hawks’ 13 points so far and they find themselves with a 13-9 lead early. -Braidon Nourse
7:01 p.m.: Off we go in the last 5A girls Great 8 matchup of the day. We’ve got defending champs No. 2 Roosevelt and No. 7 Montrose. If you like scoring, this may not be the game for you; both teams boast top-class defenses. –Braidon Nourse
Class 5A boys final: No. 4 Mesa Ridge 68, No. 12 Dakota Ridge 44
Second verse, same as the first.
Riding the brilliance of the Riehl brothers, defending champion Mesa Ridge eliminated Dakota Ridge in the Class 5A Great 8 for the second straight year Friday night at Denver Coliseum.
Bryce Riehl (17 points, six rebounds, six assists) did most of his damage in the first half, and Tevin Riehl (16 points, seven rebounds) took over in the second as the Grizzlies raced out to a 34-15 halftime lead and kept the Eagles at arm’s length the rest of the way.
Tanner Widic and Zander Iwanski added 13 points apiece for Mesa Ridge (24-2), which will face top seed Northfield in the Final Four next Thursday.
Ethan Berninger did his best to pull Dakota Ridge (18-8) back in the game, draining all three of his 3s in the third quarter as part of a 22-point night. But with the rest of the team shooting 2 of 14 from beyond the arc, it wasn’t near enough.
6:31 p.m.: Mesa Ridge drains two 3s in the first 90 seconds of the fourth quarter, and that’s probably the ball game. The Grizzlies’ lead is now 56-35. — Matt Schubert
6:28 p.m.: Ethan Berninger knocked down the last of his three 3s in the third quarter with less than a minute to go, giving Dakota Ridge a sliver of hope entering the fourth. It’s 48-35 Mesa Ridge, but the Eagles are hanging around. — Matt Schubert
6:21 p.m.: Give Dakota Ridge credit. They haven’t given in. But with Tevin Riehl scoring back-to-back baskets, Mesa Ridge is keeping them at arm’s length. Ethan Berninger’s and-one bucket brings DR to within 44-32 with 2:32 to go. It’s as close as the Eagles have been all half. — Matt Schubert
6:02 p.m.: Mesa Ridge is one half away from a return trip to the Final Four, leading 36-17. Baskets were few and far between for Dakota Ridge, which shot 34.8% from the field (8 of 23) on one end, and allowed the Grizzlies to hit 56% of their shots (14 of 25) on the other. Bryce Riehl and Tanner Widic both have 10 points. Nathan Esau’s nine points are the only thing keeping Dakota Ridge anywhere near Mesa Ridge. — Matt Schubert
6 p.m.: Zander Iwanski knocks down back-to-back 3s, and this thing is turning into a rout. After Brian Lamar Jr.’s free throw, Mesa Ridge leads 36-15 with 1:05 left in the second quarter. — Matt Schubert
5:55 p.m.: Bryce Riehl has taken over folks, scoring or assisting on four of the last five Mesa Ridge buckets. The Grizzlies’ lead has ballooned to 27-8 with 5:26 left in the second quarter. Riehl has 10 points, four rebounds and three assists already. — Matt Schubert
5:44 p.m.: The Riehl brothers just took turns showing why the defending champion Grizzlies are going to be a tough out in 5A. Bryce had blocks on back-to-back trips down the court for Dakota Ridge, hit the prettiest left-handed scoop shot you’ll see all weekend and closed out the quarter with a fadeaway 3-pointer to finish with eight. Tevin knocked down both of his shots, including a 3. And it’s 20-8, Mesa Ridge, after eight minutes. — Matt Schubert
Class 5A girls: No. 1 Air Academy 45, No. 8 Frederick 39
Down nearly the entire first half, No. 1 Air Academy’s 11-0 run to start the second half gained enough momentum to overcome and hold off No. 8 Frederick in the Great 8 round of the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament, 45-39.
Frederick rolled in the first half and was on course to pull off a massive upset, but fell short despite responding well to the runs the Kadets (25-1) went on.
With active hands and stout rebounding, Frederick jumped out to a 16-9 lead after the first quarter, using its quick transition game to build upon its lead on multiple occasions. The Golden Eagles (19-7) gave up just 16 points in the first half.
“Frederick, hats off to them and their coaching staff, they made us work really hard,” Air Academy coach Phil Roikos said. “I wasn’t sure when we were going to start scoring again because that first half was the absolute lowest we’ve had all year.”
At halftime, Roikos reminded his team about a philosophy with which it had found success all year: string together three stops in a row.
It did. The Kadets’ third-quarter run was riddled with many more than just three stops, but more important was their ability to replicate that milestone a few more times to finish the game.
Kadets sophomore Audrina Nelson’s 3 with less than a minute to go put it out of reach, then senior Colorado State commit Caitlin Kramer sealed it with free throws. They’ll take on No. 4 Northfield on Thursday in the Final Four.
After losing in the Great 8 last season to eventual champion Roosevelt, the win meant something extra on the Kadets’ quest for their first title since 2012.
“Last year was about (the team) getting experienced,” Roikos said. “It’s the same players, but a different team with different chemistry. We’ve handled the pressure much better this year and I couldn’t be happier.”
5:18 p.m.: Air Academy is moving on! Rather than playing a game of runs, Frederick and Air Academy traded buckets nearly the entire fourth quarter, and the Kadets pulled out a 45-39 victory. None were bigger than Audrina Nelson’s late 3, which pushed the Kadets’ lead to four with less than a minute to go. Caitlin Kramer led the way for Air Academy with 13 points. -Braidon Nourse
4:57 p.m.: The Kadets extended their run to 11-0 before allowing Frederick to score with just two minutes left in the third quarter. But again, the Golden Eagles bounced back with a 6-3 run of their own to finish the frame with a 31-30 lead. If the fourth quarter is any bit as back and forth as the rest of the game has been, we’ll be in for a great finish at the Coliseum. –Braidon Nourse
4:48 p.m.: Whatever Air Academy coach Phil Roiko told his team at halftime is clearly working. The Kadets are rolling to start the second half, jumping out with a 10-0 run to take a 26-25 lead. -Braidon Nourse
4:30 p.m.: Air Academy stormed back early in the second quarter, holding Frederick to just two points in the first five minutes and cutting the deficit to two. Colorado State commit Caitlin Kramer is leading the charge, most notably with a 3 at one end, then an emphatic block on a Frederick 3 on the other end in succession.
The Golden Eagles answered in the final few minutes of the quarter, finishing the frame on a 7-2 run to make it 25-16 at the break. -Braidon Nourse
4:10 p.m.: We’re off in the third 5A girls basketball quarterfinal of the day, this time between No. 1 Air Academy and No. 8 Frederick. The Frederick Golden Eagles haven’t been great against teams that have made the Great 8 (1-5 this season), but they have an early 16-9 lead after the first quarter.
Frederick has used its transition game to get the better of Air Academy and is rebounding well despite being outsized. The Golden Eagles are being rewarded. –Braidon Nourse
Class 5A boys final: No. 3 Windsor 74, No. 6 Lewis-Palmer 68
Led by a couple youngsters, Windsor is two wins away from a championship feat the Wizards haven’t accomplished in a century.
The Wizards held off Lewis-Palmer in the Class 5A Great 8 on Friday at the Denver Coliseum, 74-68, behind a stellar performance by sophomore point guard Madden Smiley.
Smiley paved the way to next week’s Final Four with a double-double, dropping 31 points to go along with 11 rebounds. And another sophomore, forward Deacon Schmitt, was a force inside by adding 12 points.
“(Smiley) was in attack mode today, and there were a couple times he just took over the game,” Windsor coach coach Jon Rakiecki said. “We were kind of struggling flowing into our (offense), and he just put his head down and went and created something. That’s what he can do.”
The Wizards dominated down low, with a 56-28 advantage in points in the paint, while leading nearly the entire game. Lewis-Palmer had no answer for Smiley’s consistent drives and flashy finishes at the rim, while Schmitt turned in a strong performance after coming off the bench.
“Nobody can guard Schmitt in the post,” Rakiecki said.
Windsor led 23-11 after one quarter as the Lewis-Palmer offense couldn’t find a rhythm. Senior guard Cohen Edmondson kept the Rangers afloat with eight points during that rough opening frame, and finished with a team-high 20 points.
After Lewis-Palmer closed the gap in a third quarter where the teams played to a 14-14 draw, the Rangers knocked down a flurry of threes in the fourth to put pressure on Windsor. But every time Lewis-Palmer hit a big shot, Smiley & Co. had an answer.
“They scored on six or eight straight possessions, which is kind of unheard of for our defense,” Rakiecki said. “They were hitting, but our guys relaxed and we played calm and cool and collected (down the stretch).”
The Wizards are seeking their third boys basketball crown, but first since winning back-to-back unclassified championships in 1923 and ‘24. Windsor had a picture of that 1924 team in the locker room on Friday.
“We’ll probably talk about that (history) next week as we prepare,” Rakiecki said. “That would be pretty cool – 1924 to (another title in) 2024.”
Windsor appeared in three modern-day basketball title games, but lost the Class 4A championships to Hinkley in 1998, to Ralston Valley in 2003 and to Sterling in 2011. The Wizards take on the winner of Vista PEAK Prep and Ponderosa in the Final Four.
— Kyle Newman
2:31 p.m.: Lewis-Palmer is in trouble as Windsor holds a 41-27 lead at the break. Wizards sophomore guard Madden Smiley leads all scorers with 12 points. — Kyle Newman
2:14 p.m.: Windsor is in total control, with a 23-11 lead after one quarter. If not for eight points from senior Cohen Edmondson, Lewis-Palmer would be in serious trouble. — Kyle Newman
Class 5A girls final: No. 4 Northfield 66, No. 5 Windsor 55
Behind freshman power forward LaPorsha Allen’s dominating 24-point performance, the Nighthawks made a huge statement by dispatching the Wizards, a perennial state contender, with relative ease.
Allen shot 11 of 15 from the floor and played with the poise of an upper-classman.
“She has a high I.Q.,” first-year coach Sydney Price said. “She sees the floor, she understands the game and she doesn’t get rattled. She’s very patient and composed.”
The Nighthawks (23-3) advanced to the first Final Four in school history. Next week, they will face the winner of Friday afternoon’s game between No. 1 Air Academy and No. 8 Frederick.
Price was most pleased with the Nighthawks’ defense and their control of the boards.
“Our plan was to have pressure up top, make it hard for them to get shots off and get some stops,” Price said. “If we could do that, we knew we could get our running game going.”
Allen got plenty of help from her teammates, especially freshman guard Madison Bethel, who scored 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting.
Windsor, which finished its season with a 17-9 record, was paced by junior guard Reyleigh Hess’s 18-point, 16-rebound performance. — Patrick Saunders
1:34 p.m.: Northfield freshman LaPorsha Allen has taken over this game. The power forward has 24 points on 11 of 15 shooting and the Nighthawks are 2:25 away from their first Final Four. They lead the Wizards, 59-47. — Patrick Saunders
1:12 p.m.: Northfield, playing in the Great 8 for the first time in its brief history, is closing in on a trip to the Final Four. The Nighthawks lead the Wizards 43-31 with 2:05 left in the third quarter. Freshman power forward LaPorsha Allen has scored 18 points. — Patrick Saunders
12:48 p.m.: A blow for the Nighthawks as senior power forward Austyn Ballage leaves the game with a leg injury late in the first half. The Nighthawks lead 27-23 as the teams head into the locker room. Ballage scored eight points in the first half. — Patrick Saunders
12:30 p.m.: Windsor has reached the championship round three straight years but it’s got its hands full against a physical Northfield team. The game is tied, 17-all, early in the second quarter. — Patrick Saunders
Class 5A girls quarterfinals, No. 4 Northfield vs. No. 5 Windsor: Northfield takes a 13-6 lead late in the first quarter. — Patrick Saunders
Class 5A boys final: No. 1 Northfield 61, No. 8 Mead 52
The Nighthawks roar back in the fourth quarter to keep their dream of a first state title alive. Senior Justus Michael led the way with a game-high 14 points as Northfield erased a nine-point deficit in the final frame and finished with four players in double figures. The relentlessly raucous Nighthawks crowd played a big factor in the comeback. — Kyle Newman
11:38 a.m.: Northfield sophomore Judah Michael just tied the game 52-52 with a three with 4:40 left. All the momentum is with the Nighthawks now, as their shots are falling while Mead keeps coming up with empty offensive possessions. — Kyle Newman
11:34 a.m.: After two quick buckets by senior Daquan Slayton, a fast-break lay-up and a banked three, Northfield is right back in the game early in the fourth quarter, down 49-45 to Mead. Mavericks coach Darin Reese calls timeout to try to quell the sudden momentum by the No. 1 seed. — Kyle Newman
11:30 a.m.: Mead has Northfield on the ropes, as the Mavericks lead 49-40 entering the final frame. A pair of three-pointers by junior Matthew Angelo and senior Mason Willyard helped give Mead some buffer late in the third quarter, while the Nighthawks’ offense is sputtering. — Kyle Newman
11:02 a.m.: The Nighthawks come back with a strong second quarter, cutting Mead’s lead to 30-27 at the half. Senior Justus Michael leads Northfield with 10 points, while junior Matthew Angelo has a game-high 11 points for Mead. — Kyle Newman
10:39 a.m.: Mead ends the first quarter on an 8-0 run to go up 16-7 on top-seeded Northfield. The push was punctuated by junior George Hubert’s buzzer-beating three to end the frame. The Mavericks have the size and talent — and are playing with the early swagger — to take down favored Northfield.— Kyle Newman
Class 5A girls final: No. 3 Mead 54, No. 11 Standley Lake 41
10:10 a.m.: Mead’s dream season continues. The Mavericks, who beat hoops powerhouse Holy Family for the first time ever earlier in the season, routed Standley Lake, 54-41 to advance to the 5A Final Four. — Patrick Saunders
9:50: Third-seeded Mead is back in control as it gets its fastbreak going for three layups. The Mavericks lead the Gators, 48-32, after three quarters. — Patrick Saunders
9:40 a.m.: Standley Lake is on a nice run. The Gators have cut Mesa’s lead to eight points, 35-27, with 3:27 left in the third. The Gators Taylin Serlen has 13 points. — Patrick Saunders
9:35 a.m.: Mead can shoot, that’s for sure. The Mavericks are 8 of 10 from the foul line and lead the Gators 34-21 with 5:19 left in the third quarter. — Patrick Saunders
9:15 a.m.: Junior guard Lex Van Dyke has hit three 3-pointers for the Mavericks who are routing Standley Lake, 28-12 at halftime. — Patrick Saunders
9:05 a.m.: The Mavericks, in the Great 8 for the third straight year, look like they’re charting a course to the Final Four. With 4:55 left in the first half, they are leading the Gators 24-8. — Patrick Saunders
8:58 a.m.: After the first quarter No. 3 Mead leads No. 11 Standley Lake, 15-5. The Mustangs, utilizing excellent ball movement, have drained three, wide-open 3-pointers. — Patrick Saunders
8:54 a.m.: Mead’s 3-pointers have led to a 12-4 lead over the Gators in the early going of the Class 5A quarterfinals. — Patrick Saunders
8:30 a.m.: We’re about to tip things off for Day 2 inside Denver Coliseum. The second day begins with No. 11 Standley Lake (21-4) taking on No. 3 Mead (21-4) in the Class 5A girls quarterfinals. In case you missed it, Day 1 ended with a bang, as the Smoky Hill boys took down the Mountain Vista Golden Eagles in an instant classic. Here’s hoping for more of the same today in Class 5A. — Matt Schubert
Schedule and results
Class 5A boys
No. 1 Northfield (23-2) vs. No. 8 Mead (19-6), 10:15 a.m.
No. 6 Lewis-Palmer (19-6) vs. No. 3 Windsor (21-4), 1:15 p.m.
No. 12 Dakota Ridge (18-7) vs. No. 4 Mesa Ridge (23-2), 5:30 p.m.
No. 2 Vista PEAK Prep (21-4) vs. No. 7 Ponderosa (17-8), 8:30 p.m.
Class 5A girls
No. 3 Mead 54, No. 11 Standley Lake 41
No. 5 Windsor (17-8) vs. No. 4 Northfield (22-3), 11:45 a.m.
No. 1 Air Academy (24-1) vs. No. 8 Frederick (19-6), 4 p.m.
No. 2 Roosevelt (23-2) vs. No. 7 Montrose (19-6), 7 p.m.
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