Amid the din of Denver Coliseum, Chris Olson’s voice rose above the rest.
“God dang it!” the D’Evelyn girls basketball coach bellowed after the University Bulldogs, trailing by 21 points in the third quarter, finally broke his Jaguars’ full-court press.
Such is the intensity No. 2 D’Evelyn is bringing to its bid to claim the program’s first state title — one the Jaguars are a step closer to after routing No. 7 University, 55-39, in the Class 4A Great 8 on Saturday.
“This is a group of kids, they’re competitors,” Olson said. “They just don’t want to settle for, ‘oh, OK,’ and ‘oh, they broke it,’ or whatever.”
Peyton Marvel is very clear about what the Jaguars (23-3) will settle for. And it’s nothing less than a rematch with Holy Family in next weekend’s 4A title game. A year ago, the Tigers rallied to beat D’Evelyn 49-44 in last year’s championship, dashing D’Evelyn’s bid for a 28-0 season in the process.
“We want Holy Family,” Marvel said. “I’ve lost three times to them and I just want my revenge and I know everyone else does, too, because it was heartbreaking last year.”
First, the Jaguars will have to get past the winner of Riverdale Ridge-Colorado Academy in next Friday’s Final Four. If they play like they did Saturday against University (21-5), consider it a lock.
Marvel was, well, marvelous during a 26-2 run between the first and second quarters that saw the Jaguars take control. The senior forward scored inside and outside while disrupting University as the head of the snake on D’Evelyn’s full-court press that forced 23 Bulldog turnovers. Marvel had a double-double by halftime (14 points, 12 rebounds). Her final stat line: 21 points, 15 boards, four steals and two assists.
Fellow senior Macy Scheer added 10 points and five rebounds for the Jaguars, whose lead stretched to 40-15 with 6:04 left in the third quarter before University was able to find its footing. Ingrid Dalla chipped in eight points and five steals, while Ellie McMann had eight points and five rebounds.
“I feel like once we get going,” Marvel said, “nobody can stop us.”
The secret to the Jaguars’ success?
Marvel is a Colorado Christian softball commit. Scheer is headed to Concordia University to play volleyball. Basketball is all about fun, especially when they’re playing like they did vs. University.
“They are just great athletes and they work hard and they’re coachable,” Olson said. “They love what they do. They love their teammates. They love their school.”
Added Marvel, “Not many of our girls are actually basketball players … so I just think it’s athleticism and kind of just having fun and not having to worry about learning all of the skills and stuff.”
Junior post Addison Harding and senior forward Natalie Moore led University with 12 points apiece. But it wasn’t enough to get past D’Evelyn, which eliminated University for the second year in a row following last year’s 49-44 win in the Final Four.
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