The semifinals of the Colorado high school basketball state tournaments for Classes 4A-6A take place Thursday and Friday 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 | Final 4 scouting report | Thursday’s Final Four coverage | Northfield girls rally | VanSickle powers Valor girls | Mesa Ridge advances

Updates

Class 6A boys final: No. 6 Valor Christian 67, No. 7 Smoky Hill 56

Behind a dominant fourth quarter, Valor Christian is headed back to the state title game for the first time in seven years.

The Eagles outscored Smoky Hill 22-11 in the pivotal final frame en route to a 67-56 win in the Class 6A boys Final Four on Friday at the Denver Coliseum. Valor Christian was paced by 29 points from junior point guard Cole Scherer, who has been unstoppable in the state tournament.

With the win, Valor Christian avenged a 70-68 loss to Smoky Hill earlier in the season.

“We were excited for a big revenge game,” Cole Scherer said. “We wanted it more.

“I came in attacking. I know they’re scrappy, but that I could get downhill (toward the basket) on them. And we had a big focus on defense, and came out in the fourth quarter and got a bunch of stops which helped us blow the lead up.”

Senior guard Eli Kim (14 points) and senior forward Ryan Dixon (11) also finished in double-figures for Valor Christian, which is seeking its second state title to add to the Class 4A crown the Eagles won in 2017.

Smoky Hill was led by 18 points from senior guard Torian Ray Gasaway, while senior forward Kevin Sylla had 12 and junior guard Lorenzo Contreras posted 11. The Buffaloes turned the ball over 21 times to Valor Christian’s 14, and the Eagles had a 19-9 advantage in points off those miscues.

The Eagles have a chance to join an exclusive group on Saturday if the boys and girls, who beat Cherokee Trail to also advance to the Class 6A title, both win the championship.

Holy Family did it last year in Class 4A, Faith Christian in 2012 in 3A, while Grandview (2018), Regis Jesuit (2009) and ThunderRidge (2003) all accomplished the feat in Class 5A. Mullen also did it in 2006 in boys 5A and girls 4A, while Lutheran pulled it off in 2A in 1985.

“It means a lot, to both have a shot at the title,” Scherer said. “We’re big supporters of each other, and we’ve got the talented teams (to join that club).”

— Kyle Newman

8:58 p.m.: Valor Christian is headed to Championship Saturday. Junior guard Cole Scherer scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the second half to lead the Eagles to a 67-56 win and their first title game trip since winning the Class 4A crown in 2017. They will take on ThunderRidge at 4 p.m. Saturday, with the Valor girls facing Regis Jesuit before the girls title tilt. — Matt Schubert

8:52 p.m.: Cole Scherer knifes into the lane. And-one off glass. And Kaylan Graham has fouled out with 1:21 left. Graham also picks up a tech on the play. Valor leads 62-53 after Scherer drains all three free throws. That might be game, folks. — Matt Schubert

8:49 p.m.: Eli Kim drains a 3-pointer from the wing, and Valor leads 57-53 with 2:26 to go. The Eagles might start squeezing the air out of the ball here. — Matt Schubert

8:45 p.m.: We’re trading haymakers in the fourth quarter. Zo Contreras crosses over a defender and feeds Carter Basquez for a corner 3 on one end to give Smoky a brief lead. Valor answer back with Eli Kim putting back his own miss to put Valor on top 54-53 with 3:48 left. What. A. Game. –– Matt Schubert

8:42 p.m.: Zo Contreras steals a sloppy inbounds pass from Valor and converts into an and-one on the other end. Another Smoky steal ends with Carter Basquez getting a great look at the rim. In and out. It’s 52-50, Valor with 5:09 left. — Matt Schubert

8:38 p.m.: Smoky big man Kevin Sylla is writhing on the floor with what looks like a leg cramp following a Ryan Dixon putback. Valor leads 52-47 with 5:43 left in the game. Unclear if Sylla is going to be able to re-enter this game. — Matt Schubert

8:36 p.m.: Cole Scherer has taken this game over. Another pull-up 3, his fifth of the game, gives Valor its first lead in ages. Ryan Mandes follows with a steal and layup to give the Eagles a five-point lead. But Kevin Sylla gets a putback on the other end (and comes up limping). It’s 50-47 Valor with 6:11 left in the game. — Matt Schubert

8:32 p.m.: Cole Scherer feeds Ryan Dixon for a bucket inside that briefly ties the score at 42, Ray Gasaway answers with another 3 of his own and then Scherer closes out the third with a pull-up 3. He’s got 21 points, 11 coming in that quarter. We’re all tied at 45 heading into the fourth quarter. Buckle up, folks. A wild finish is on its way. — Matt Schubert

8:22 p.m.: Smoky and Valor are trading shots with the Buffs still on top, up 39-36 with 4:34 left in the third quarter. This one is shaping up to be a thriller. — Matt Schubert

8:20 p.m.: Ray Gasaway is up to 15 after a steal and layup … that was probably a dunk had he not fumbled his dribble. Cole Scherer has 15 of his own after burying a 3-pointer. Smoky leads 37-34 with 5:24 left in the third quarter. — Matt Schubert

8:03 p.m.: The Buffaloes are 6 of 8 from the 3-point line to start this game, but only lead 31-26 at halftime. Valor is not going away. Why? The Eagles are 5 of 7 from beyond the arc. Needless to say, absolutely bonkers shooting from both teams so far. Now about those turnovers (20 total). Ray Gasaway has 13 for Smoky and Cole Scherer has 10 for Valor. — Matt Schubert

7:57 p.m.: Carter Basquez picks up his third foul midway through the second quarter with Smoky leading 26-22. That’s a significant development. A lot of shot creation going to the bench. — Matt Schubert

7:45 p.m.: Multiple dunks, 3s and bodies on the floor in the first eight minutes. It ends with Kaylan Graham  draining a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer. Smoky leads 18-16. — Matt Schubert

7:43 p.m.: We’re six minutes into this thing and the Buffs have already thrown down a pair of alley-oop dunks. Still, the Eagles are holding steady. It’s 13-all with 1:27 left in the first quarter. — Matt Schubert

7:30 p.m.: So, what can Smoky Hill and Valor Christian do to top what we just saw? Don’t know about you, but I’m dying to find out. Buffs and Eagles are about to tip off. — Matt Schubert

Class 6A boys final: No. 4 ThunderRidge 64, No. 8 Eaglecrest 62

Tommy Wight’s put-back at the buzzer off Andrew Crawford’s miss on a contested drive wins it. The Grizzlies are headed to their ninth title game. — Kyle Newman

7:11 p.m.: LaDavian King makes the third free throw. Tie game, 62-62. — Kyle Newman

7:07 p.m.: Shot clock, anyone? This is where we really need one. ThunderRidge just burned about 40 seconds off the clock passing the ball around before the Raptors had to foul. Andrew Crawford made one of two free throws, then LaDavian King pushed the ball down the floor and was fouled on a three-pointer with 9.9 seconds left. He makes the first two, then Joe Ortiz calls a timeout to ice him for the third. ThunderRidge leads 62-61. — Kyle Newman

7:05 p.m.: Junior center Garrett Barger is willing the Raptors back into the game, with buckets on three straight possessions. ThunderRidge leads 61-59 with 1:05 to play. — Kyle Newman

6:56 p.m.: A single ThunderRidge possession just took about two minutes off the clock, and finished with Tommy Wight’s put-back on a contested rebound. Grizzlies lead 55-48 with 4:46 left. –– Kyle Newman

6:50 p.m.: ThunderRidge, whose only playoff defeat in the last four seasons came to Eaglecrest in last year’s first round, is in total control heading into the final quarter. The Grizzlies lead 51-42 as coach Joe Ortiz is on the doorstep of his ninth title game. — Kyle Newman

6:35 p.m.: ThunderRidge rips off a 6-0 run to start the second half, and Eaglecrest coach Jarris Krapcha takes a timeout. The Grizzlies are ahead 34-29 now, their largest lead of the game. — Kyle Newman

6:22 p.m.: There’s little doubt the outcome of this game goes through each team’s star. Andrew Crawford leads ThunderRidge with 11 points, and LaDavian King has 14 points to pace Eaglecrest, which leads 29-28 at the half. — Kyle Newman

6:07 p.m.: After Joe Ortiz’s timeout, ThunderRidge starts to find an offensive rhythm, especially in the paint. Eaglecrest leads 15-10 after one quarter; Andrew Crawford has six points for the Grizzlies and LaDavian King has eight for the Raptors. — Kyle Newman

6:02 p.m.: Andrew Crawford’s jumper gave ThunderRidge the early 2-0 lead, but then Eaglecrest ripped off a 12-0 run, punctuated by eight points by star junior point guard LaDavian King. After King drained a three at the 2:57 mark of the first quarter, Grizzlies coach Joe Ortiz had seen enough, and called timeout. — Kyle Newman

Class 4A boys final No. 2 Resurrection Christian 51, No. 3 Lutheran 45

Resurrection Christian will get a shot at redemption.

After losing in the Class 4A boys championship last year, the Cougars will play in the title game for the second straight season after defeating No. 3 Lutheran, 51-45, in the semifinals on Friday afternoon at the Denver Coliseum.

The Cougars (25-2) will face Kent Denver on Saturday, as the Sun Devils used a 68-56 win over Colorado Academy earlier in the day to secure a spot in the championship.

Resurrection Christian trailed for the entire first half before establishing control in the fourth quarter. Yoder buried a wide-open 3-pointer from the corner and then forward Jacob Foster was fouled while converting a layup to take a 38-28 lead with 5:11 left in regulation.

The Cougars’ double-digit lead was cut in half after Lutheran’s Isaiah Williams converted a layup with 3:28 on the clock. With 1:57 left, Lions guard Lalo Gonzales buried a 3-pointer to cut to lead down to 43-40.

Ultimately, free throw shooting was the difference maker in the outcome. While Lutheran (23-4) shot a dreadful 5 for 14 from the charity stripe, Yoder made a pair with a minute remaining to help the Cougars pull away with the win.

The Cougars were 22 for 28 from the free throw line. Yoder, who finished with 13 points, was a perfect 8 for 8.

Barker finished with a team-best 18 points and six rebounds.

5:19 p.m.: The Cougars were up by as many as 10 points before Lutheran cut the deficit down to 43-40 after Lalo Gonzales’ 3-pointer with 1:57 left. — Ryan McFadden 

5:05 p.m.: Resurrection Christian increased its lead to 35-28 after Ty Yoder’s 3-pointer. The Cougars have their largest lead of the night with 6:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. — Ryan McFadden 

5:00 p.m.: The Cougars used a 13-3 scoring run to take a 31-28 lead at the end of the third. Barker has 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Meanwhile, Caldwell has 11 points and seven rebounds. — Ryan McFadden 

4:51 p.m.: Resurrection Christian scored five straight points to take a 25-23 lead with 4:05 left in the third quarter. — Ryan McFadden 

4:35 p.m.: Barker scored six straight baskets for the Cougars to cut the deficit to 20-16 at halftime. Lutheran was held scoreless for the final 2:30 of the second quarter. Both teams are shooting under 40% from the floor. — Ryan McFadden 

4:31 p.m.: After the Lions expanded their lead to eight points, Cougars forward Jacob Barker converted a pair of baskets to cut the deficit to 18-14 with 3:10 left in the second quarter. — Ryan McFadden 

4:23 p.m.: The Lions head into the second quarter with a 11-6 advantage. Speckman (five points) and Caldwell (six points) scored all of their team’s points in the first. Resurrection Christian has shot 20% from the floor. — Ryan McFadden 

4:15 p.m.: Lutheran jumped out to a early 9-4 lead thanks to its front court duo of Kade Speckman and Hunter Caldwell. Speckman has five points while Caldwell has totaled four so far in the first quarter. — Ryan McFadden 

Class 4A girls final: No. 1 Holy Family 48, No. 4 Resurrection Christian 42

Holy Family is headed back to the Class 4A state title game.

And Tigers head coach Ron Rossi is one win away from making Colorado girls basketball history.

After a 48-42 win over No. 4 Resurrection Christian on Friday inside Denver Coliseum, the Tigers can give Rossi his eighth state championship with a win over Riverdale Ridge in Saturday’s title game.

That would place him above Highlands Ranch coach Caryn Jarocki for most Colorado girls’ basketball state titles.

After winning each of its tournament games by at least 27 points, Holy Family was pushed to the brink before escaping with a six-point victory against Resurrection Christian. The score was most indicative of the slow, grinding nature of the semifinal.

Only six points were scored in the first quarter, both teams combining for 2-of-23 shooting in the frame. Holy Family senior Essynce Contreraz scored all four of the Tigers’ points on the way to scoring a team-high 16 on the game to go with six steals.

One of the biggest differences was Resurrection Christian’s inability to take care of the ball and Holy Family being able to capitalize. The Tigers scored 19 points off 27 turnovers.

Resurrection Christian cut it to one midway through the third quarter, but the Tigers responded with a 10-2 run to push it to nine with just a minute left in the frame. The stretch was spearheaded by two layups off of steals and two 3s, all by different players.

By the time the third quarter ended, the lead had ballooned to 13 in favor of the Tigers, which proved to be too much for the Cougars.

Julia Hodell came alive in the second half, scoring seven of her 13 points in the period to join Contreraz as the only two double-digit scorers for the Tigers. Her biggest bucket was the 3 that jumpstarted the third-quarter run.

Resurrection Christian cut the lead to five with 2:03 left in the game, but committed some costly fouls which kept the ball out of its hands until it had to commit intentional fouls.

With back-to-back state titles within reach for the Tigers, they’ll have to go through Brihanna Crittendon, who scored 30 points in Riverdale Ridge’s Final Four game. Tip off is Saturday at 5:45 p.m.

3:51 p.m.: Holy Family hangs on to beat Resurrection Christian 48-42 in the girls 4A Final Four to set up a date with Riverdale Ridge tomorrow night. Essynce Contreraz led the way with 16 points, including some big free throws to keep the game at arm’s reach with less than a minute to go. -Braidon Nourse

3:47 p.m.: Both teams traded huge 3-point buckets with a minute and a half to go, then Resurrection Christian got a layup to keep the difference at five points. 67 seconds to go in what has turned into a thriller. -Braidon Nourse

3:42 p.m.: The Cougars have cut their deficit to just five with three minutes to go. This is by far the closest game of Holy Family’s tournament run so far. It had some comfort after the big third-quarter run, but needs to dial in to finish the job. — Braidon Nourse

3:31 p.m.: The Cougars’ run extended to 15-4, which included three steals resulting in easy layups. Holy Family holds onto a 38-25 lead entering the fourth quarter. -Braidon Nourse

3:25 p.m.: Resurrection Christian cut it to one, but a Holy Family 3 is followed by two steals and two layups in succession for a seven-point Cougars run. That amounts to the largest lead of the game, and Holy Family is up 30-22 near the end of the third quarter. -Braidon Nourse

3:03 p.m.: The scoring opened up a bit, but it’s still a slow grind at halftime. Resurrection Christian has done well to take advantage of the circumstances, trailing 17-14 to the No. 1 team in the state with title repeat hopes. The Cougars lead big in rebounds, 17-6, but have committed 16 turnovers to Holy Family’s five. — Braidon Nourse

2:46 p.m.: What has been the lowest-scoring quarter of the tournament so far? It might just be this one. Combined, Resurrection Christian and Holy Family have gone 2 of 23 from the field. RC free throws midway through the first quarter are all the Cougars have put on the board. Two Essynce Contreraz layups have the Holy Family Tigers up 4-2 after the first frame.  — Braidon Nourse

2:38 p.m.: It took nearly three minutes for the first point to be scored for either team, which Essynce Contreraz laid in off a steal. — Braidon Nourse

2:33 p.m.: No. 1 Holy Family has walked through the 4A girls bracket, winning every game by no less than 27 points. Will No. 4 Resurrection Christian give the defending champions trouble? They’re led by senior Mackenzie Flikkema and junior Olivia Klein, who combine for more than 28 points per game. The winner of this one will take on Brihanna Crittendon and Riverdale Ridge tomorrow for the title. —Braidon Nourse

Class 4A boys final: No. 1 Kent Denver 68, No. 5 Colorado Academy 56

No. 1 Kent Denver advanced to the Class 4A boys championship game on Saturday after defeating No. 4 Colorado Academy, 68-56.

The Sun Devils were able to hold off a valiant comeback effort from the Mustangs. Colorado Academy cut the deficit down to 49-47 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Kent Denver went on an 11-2 scoring run to pull away with the win.

Kent Denver sophomore Caleb Fay finished with a game-high 24 points while shooting 10 for 13 from the floor. With 5:19 left, Fay knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner before converting a layup in transition to give the Sun Devils a six-point advantage.

Kent Denver junior Clay Tierney finished with 14 points and went 2 for 5 from the 3-point line. Tierney’s 3-pointer with 3:19 left in regulation solidified the victory, as the shot attempt gave the Sun Devils a 60-50 lead.

Colorado Academy was led by George Buyers, who finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four steals. Simeon Woldeyohannes added 14 points and six assists. — Ryan McFadden

1:55 p.m.: Fay is fouled while scoring the layup to extend Kent Denver’s lead to 56-50. There’s still time left, but that basket was a huge momentum swing. — Ryan McFadden 

1:52 p.m.: Fay knocked down a corner three pointer before Colorado Academy’s Simeon Woldeyohannes responded with a shoot from deep. The Mustangs are down 54-50 with 4:56 left in the game. — Ryan McFadden

1:45 p.m: Kent Denver has a 49-45 advantage at the end of the third quarter. Colorado Academy outscored the Sun Devils 17-13 in the third to keep its hope alive. Buyers has 17 points. — Ryan McFadden 

1:33 p.m.: Colorado Academy cut its deficit down to four points before Fay’s 3-pointer extended the Sun Devils’ lead to 41-34 with 5:08 remaining in the third. — Ryan McFadden 

1:16 p.m.: Kent Denver has a 36-28 lead at halftime. Fay scored 13 points while Colorado Academy’s George Buyers has registered 11 points. Even though the Mustangs are still in the game, they have to do a better job at limiting the mistakes. Colorado Academy committed eight turnovers and shot 50% from the free throw line in the first half. — Ryan McFadden

1:12 p.m.: Kent Denver is feeling it from deep. The Sun Devils converted three straight shots from deep to take a 13-point advantage. — Ryan McFadden

1:06 p.m.: The Sun Devils’ lead has expanded to 25-15 with 5:38 remaining in the second quarter. They have outscored the Mustangs 18-8 in the paint. — Ryan McFadden 

12:59 p.m.: Kent Denver used a 17-4 scoring run to take a 19-10 lead at the first quarter. Fay scored nine points on 4 of 5 shooting. While the Sun Devils have struggled to knock down outside shots, they have been a force down low, scoring 14 points in the paint. — Ryan McFadden

12:53 p.m.: The Sun Devils have scored seven unanswered points to take a 9-6 lead with 3:06 remaining in the first quarter. — Ryan McFadden

12:23 p.m.: We are less than 20 minutes away from the Class 4A boys semifinals matchup between Kent Denver and Colorado Academy. The Sun Devils have been an offensive juggernaut during the tournament, averaging an impressive 89.3 points per game. Sophomore Caleb Fay has averaged 26.6 points through three games. — Ryan McFadden 

Class 4A girls final: No. 3 Riverdale Ridge 56, No. 2 D’Evelyn 34

12:13 p.m.: Riverdale Ridge is heading to its first-ever championship game thanks to a second-half thrashing of defending runners-up D’Evelyn. It must feel pretty special for the Ravens, who were knocked out in last year’s Great 8 by D’Evelyn. Brihanna Crittendon led all scorers with 32 points to go with 11 rebounds and three blocks. They will face the winner of No. 1 Holy Family and No. 4 Resurrection Christian. — Braidon Nourse

11:56 a.m.: Riverdale Ridge has built on its halftime lead thanks to Crittendon finding her groove on both ends of the floor, posting nine points, a steal and a block in the frame. D’Evelyn has done well to stay with it, but is seeming to run out of answers for the star sophomore. The Jaguars, down 42-30, will need a huge spark early in the fourth if they want to return to the 4A title game. — Braidon Nourse

11:31 a.m.: Buzzer beater! Riverdale Ridge’s Shay Vigil hits a no-doubter from beyond half court as time expires in the first half, just seconds after Peyton Marvel hit a 3 of her own to take D’Evelyn’s first lead of the game. Some gritty offense and second-chance points have kept this one close in the second quarter. D’Evelyn has done a better job of denying Brihanna Crittendon, who had just four points in the second quarter compared to her first-quarter explosion of 14. Riverdale Ridge keeps a narrow 28-26 advantage going into halftime. — Braidon Nourse 

11:14 a.m.: The stars are out and shining bright early. Macy Scheer (14.4 ppg, 7 rpg) scored D’Evelyn’s first six points of the game, while Brihanna Crittendon (29 ppg) and Brooklyn Charlo (13.1 ppg) have combined for 17 of 19 points in the first quarter (Crittendon has 14 by herself). Riverdale Ridge has the early 19-10 advantage and looks like the better team so far. — Braidon Nourse

11 a.m.: Off we go in the first Final Four matchup of the day. Keep an eye on the Ravens’ sophomore sensation, Brihanna Crittendon, who averages 29 points and 11 rebounds. Yup, you read that right. — Braidon Nourse 

10:50 a.m.: Welcome back! Snow is falling in downtown Denver and the Class 4A Final Four is about to heat up here inside the Coliseum. First up is the No. 2 D’Evelyn girls vs. No. 3 Riverdale Ridge. a rematch of a Great 8 game from last year that saw the Jaguars prevail over Brihanna Crittendon and Co. en route to a championship game appearance. As Kyle Newman wrote earlier this week, Crittendon is on pace to take down the state scoring record. But first things first: Can she get past D’Evelyn in the state tournament? — Matt Schubert

Schedule and results

Class 6A boys, Friday
No. 8 Eaglecrest (20-6) vs. No. 4 ThunderRidge (21-5), 5:45 p.m.
No. 7 Smoky Hill (20-6) vs. No. 6 Valor Christian (24-2), 7:15 p.m.

Class 4A boys, Friday
No. 1 Kent Denver (24-2) vs. No. 5 Colorado Academy (21-5), 12:45 p.m.
No. 2 Resurrection Christian (24-2) vs. No. 3 Lutheran (23-3), 4 p.m.

Class 4A girls, Friday
No. 1 Holy Family (24-2) vs. No. 4 Resurrection Christian (23-3), 2:15 p.m.
No. 2 D’Evelyn (23-3) vs. No. 3 Riverdale Ridge (23-3), 11 a.m.

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