Sunday, March 31, 2019

Gazette Preps 2018-19 Class 5A/4A Girls' Basketball Peak Performer of the Year: Ashten Prechtel, Discovery Canyon


Vinny, Benedetto, gazette.com, March 29, 2019

Ashten Prechtel was an accessory to a big moment for women’s basketball during Tuesday’s dunk contest at the McDonald’s All-American Game in Atlanta, but she made Colorado hoops history on her own in her final season at Discovery Canyon.
During the finals of the contest broadcasted by ESPN, Prechtel plopped her 6-foot-5 frame in a chair positioned the middle of the paint before Regis Jesuit’s Fran Belibi cleared her future Stanford teammate and became just the second woman to win the contest, joining Candace Parker, who starred collegiately at Tennessee and in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Belibi’s dunk was featured on "SportsCenter" and shared widely online with Prechtel in the middle of the frame.

Thursday, March 28, 2019

McDonalds All American Game


Logan Newman, usatodayhss.com, March 27, 2019

Stanford vs. South Carolina

Is there a chance we’ll see the future of the Stanford and South Carolina girls basketball teams match up Wednesday?

link to story



Dan Olson, espn.com, March 27, 2019

Belibi watch

All eyes were on Fran Belibi, who won the Powerade JamFest dunk contest on Monday with a perfect score on four spectacular dunks.

link to story

Haley Jones of Santa Cruz competes for the West team at the 2019 McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 in Atlanta. The West lost to the East team, coached by Archbishop Mitty head coach Sue Phillips and her staff, 83-68.

santacruzsentinel.com, march 28, 2019

Haley Jones’ West team falls to Mitty coaches’ East squad in McDonald’s All-American game

Santa Cruz’s Haley Jones had nine points, two rebounds, one assists and one block but the West lost 83-68 to the East in the McDonald’s All-American Game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wednesday.

Jones, a Stanford-bound senior at Archbishop Mitty High in San Jose, started and played 19 minutes. The 6-foot-2 wing was 0 for 2 on 3-point attempts and made 5 of 6 free throws.

West teammates and future Cardinal teammates Francesca Belibi, a 6-1 forward/center, had six points and 10 rebounds and Ashten Prechtel, a 6-5 forward/center, had four points and two rebounds.


Tennessee signee Jordon Horston was named MVP after she led the East, coached by Mitty’s Sue Phillips and her staff, to victory with 22 points, four rebounds and three steals.


Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Stanford recruit Haley Jones named Morgan Wootten Player of the Year

Stanford-bound Haley Jones, who averaged 26.1 points and 12.1 rebounds as a senior at Archbishop Mitty, was named the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year.

Brian Spurlock, usatoday.com, March 26, 2019

Stanford basketball recruit Haley Jones was named the Morgan Wootten Player of the Year on Tuesday.
Jones, a senior at Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California) and the No. 1 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100, averaged 26.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game this season and led her team to a 25-3 record. She also was named the Naismith Player of the Year and is the two-time Gatorade California Player of the Year.

Haley Jones of Mitty repeats as The Chronicle’s Metro Player of the Year


Archbishop Mitty High School’s Haley Jones (right) talks with Stanford women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer in 2018. Jones has signed a letter of intent to play at Stanford University.

Mitch Stephens, sfchronicle.com, March 26, 2019

From Courtney Paris to Jayne Appel to Sabrina Ionescu, the Bay Area has been blessed with some of the finest high school girls’ basketball players in the country.
Haley Jones just might turn out to be the best of the bunch.
The 6-foot-1 senior from Mitty has repeated as The Chronicle’s Metro Player of the Year. It was an easy call, given that the Stanford-bound player was named the Naismith National Girls Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on March 15.
Jones entered the season ranked as the No. 1 senior recruit in the nation by ESPN and only improved her game and reputation with one of the most dominating seasons in Bay Area history.
She averaged 26.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.8 blocks while leading the Monarchs (25-3) to their fourth consecutive Central Coast Section title. Mitty finished the season ranked fourth in MaxPreps’ national computer rankings.

Haley Jones

School: Mitty
Year: Senior
Stats: 26.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.8 blocks per game
College: Stanford
Jones controlled both the perimeter and the paint, leading Mitty coach Sue Phillips to call her “the poster child for position-less basketball.”
Phillips, who will coach against Jones in Wednesday’s McDonald’s All-American game in Atlanta, knew she had something special when Jones arrived at Mitty, the winningest girls program in Northern California history.
“It was the beautiful process to watch this young woman evolve and grow in terms of leadership, confidence and all facets of her game that was so special,” Phillips said.
Her stats grew every season in every category and her teams did not lose a West Catholic Athletic League or Central Coast Section game during her career. Overall, Mitty with Jones was 105-11.
Asked to carry the scoring load this season, Jones did so effortlessly while getting her teammates involved.
“Everyone understands their role at Mitty,” she said. “I just tried to be a leader, whether that was as a facilitator or scorer, defender, rebounder. I just wanted to be a leader every night.”
Salesian-Richmond coach Stephen Pezzolo said it was “embarrassing,” the amount of time he spent planning defenses for Jones. It worked, sort of: Jones averaged 22 points and 12 rebounds in two games against the Pride.
“She’s simply the complete player,” he said. “She can initiate the offense and lead her team in assists. She can shoot the 3 with the best of them. Her offensive rebounding is beyond uncanny as she just intuitively knows where the ball will go. Defensively, she can defend the wing to the post and is a great off-ball defender. Her skill set has no holes.”
Jones scored at least 30 nine times, with a career-high 43 — to go with 14 rebounds, seven assists and six steals — in a win over St. Francis. Along the way, she passed three-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh Jennings as the school’s career scoring leader (2,127 points). Jones set the school career record for shooting percentage at 63.
Scoring merely begins to tell Jones’ impact at Mitty, Phillips said, noting her 1,058 career rebounds, 400 assists, 252 steals and 240 blocks.
“Haley’s name is riddled throughout every category of our record book,” Phillips said. “It’s sort of mind-boggling to think of all her accomplishments.”
Jones said she was blown away to see the previous 30 Naismith winners named before her. The list includes many of the sports’ all-time greats, including Lisa Leslie, Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Maya Moore. Paris (2005) was the only other Bay Area winner.
“It’s really sort of surreal to win such a prestigious award,” she said the day the Naismith winners were announced. “Going through the pool of athletes who won it before, it’s just such an honor. It’s amazing.”
Which makes Jones befitting of the award, Phillips said.
“Through all the many accomplishments and even setbacks, she handled everything with such poise and grace,” Phillips said. “I’ve been very spoiled to have her every day at practice and games for four years. She’ll be so greatly missed.”


Belibi soared on a memorable night for Stanford's present and future

Francesca Belibi dunks over Ashten Prechtel Monday night to win the McDonald All-American dunk contest. Belibi and Prechtel will be freshman at Stanford next season.

Jacob Rayburn • CardinalSportsReport.com

Stanford women's basketball program may be on the verge of something special, and the reasons why were on display in two gyms: Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., and State Farm Arena in Atlanta


The current Cardinal fought through some adversity to defeat BYU 72-63 and earn a 12th straight trip to the Sweet 16 -- a remarkable streak that illustrates that the floor of the program is reaching the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Stanford will take on No. 11 seed Missouri State in Chicago because the Bears upset No. 3 seed Iowa State.
On the other side of the country incoming freshman Francesca (Fran) Belibi dazzled an audience of her high school all-star peers at the Powerade Jam Fest. She is the first girl to win the dunk contest of McDonald All-Americans since Candace Parker in 2004.

Belibi showed off an array of dunks -- baseline reverse, two-handed, alley-oop and leaping over a seated teammate -- to win the title over Scottie Lewis. (You can watch all four on this ESPN video.)

Meet Fran Belibi, the second woman to win the McDonald's All American dunk contest

Michelle Martinelli, usatoday.com, March 26, 2019

If you don’t know the name Fran Belibi, you should. The five-star forward from Aurora, Colorado is off to Stanford next season, but she’s already gone viral multiple times for her stunning moves on the court.
And Monday, she became the second female player to win the dunk contest at the McDonald’s All American Game, following only the great Candace Parker, who won in 2004. In the final round of the contest, Belibi was up against Florida five-star recruit Scottie Lewis and five-star forward Precious Achiuwa, who has not yet committed anywhere, ESPN reported.
At 6-foot-1, Belibi is listed as the No. 3 forward in the nation, and she threw up four dunks, all of which received perfect 10s. She even dunked over her future Stanford teammate Ashten Prechtel, who was sitting in a chair under the basket.

Monday, March 25, 2019

Stanford recruit Belibi wins JamFest dunk contest


Katie Barnes, espn.com, March 25, 2019

Fran Belibi became just the second woman to win the Powerade JamFest dunk contest on Monday night in Atlanta.
The Stanford recruit faced off against five-star forward Precious Achiuwa and Florida recruit Scottie Lewis in the final and put down a total of four dunks. She scored nothing but 10s for a total score of 320.
Candace Parker won the event in 2004.
Belibi sealed her victory with a dunk -- while wearing a cape -- over future Cardinal teammate Ashten Prechtel, who was sitting in a chair.

A HIGHER CALLING

Fran Belibi has captured the imagination of basketball fans with her astounding dunks. But the Stanford-bound star dreams of a different destiny.

Katie Barnes, espn.com, March 25, 2019

Students file into the gym at Regis Jesuit High School on a February night in Aurora, Colorado. Their feet, wet from the beginnings of snow, slide across the bleachers as they crowd into the student section. There is a hockey game taking place a few miles down the road, but the biggest draw for the senior boys in the front row is Fran Belibi. They run down her stats and debate the probability of whether she'll dunk. It's a Friday night, the second round of the state playoffs and one of her final home games before she heads to Stanford, so a dunk, they figure, isn't too much of a stretch.

Thursday, March 21, 2019

Meet all-Bay Area News Group team

Pinewood's Hannah Jump (24) heads to the basket against Salesian's Angel Jackson (15) in the third quarter of their CIF Northern California Open Division girls basketball championship game at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, Calif., on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. 

mercurynews.com, March 20, 2019


Top high school players from East Bay, South Bay and Peninsula recognized


Player of the year
Haley Jones, Archbishop Mitty, 6-1, senior
The consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation validated her status by averaging 26.1 points, 12.1, 4.4 assists, 3.7 steals and 2.8 blocks en route to a fourth consecutive CCS Open Division title. The Stanford-bound standout was tabbed as the Naismith Trophy girls basketball player of the year after being named Gatorade California POY for a second time in a row.

First team
Hannah Jump, Pinewood, 5-11, senior
The Stanford-bound sharpshooter set a career high with 11 3-pointers in a single game early in the season, as she averaged 16.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.9 treys. Named MVP of the West Bay Athletic League Foothill Division, she helped the Panthers advance to consecutive state finals in the Open Division.


Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Meet the Bay Area News Group player of the year


Archbishop Mitty's Haley Jones (30) drives to the basket against Pinewood's Klara Astrom (11) in the fourth period of their Central Coast Section Open Division girls basketball championship game in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019

Vytas Mazeika, mercurynews.com, March 20, 2019

 Archbishop Mitty senior Haley Jones will share another accolade in common with Diana Taurasi after flying to Atlanta next week to participate in the McDonald’s All-American Game.


Eighteen years ago, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, three-time WNBA champion and three-time NCAA champion capped her high school career as not only a two-time Gatorade California player of the year, but also as the Naismith national girls basketball player of the year.
It’s an eerily similar résumé to the one Jones compiled during her four years at Mitty, with one missing element for both: a state title.
That’s an asterisk, not a punctuation mark for Jones, the 2018-19 Bay Area News Group player of the year.
“My freshman self would probably be in shock of the position I am in today, but truly grateful and humbled,” said the 17-year-old, who also received the top honor from this publication as a sophomore and junior. “When I was a freshman I didn’t expect for myself to be in this position, so it would push my freshman self to work even harder.”
That’s certainly the work ethic that landed Jones a scholarship to Stanford, which nabbed the consensus No. 1 recruit in the nation away from Connecticut, where Taurasi went, along with fellow finalists Notre Dame, Oregon and South Carolina.
“Haley being mentioned in the same sentence as Diana Taurasi is an incredible compliment; and, yet, an appropriate high school comparison given Haley’s level of dominance, versatility, and skill set at the point guard position,” Mitty coach Sue Phillips said.
“Basketball is something that Haley loves to do and has experienced an enormous amount of success, but it does not define her. Basketball is how people know Haley, but she is much more than a game. Haley is bright, kind, compassionate, and driven.
“She can be or do whatever she sets her mind to. And whatever she decides to do, she will positively influence those around her.”
From Day 1 at Mitty, the talent was undeniable.
Jones never lost in the Central Coast Section playoffs, coming away with a quartet of Open Division titles — all against Pinewood senior Hannah Jump, her future teammate on The Farm.
“And to Haley’s credit, she trusted in our vision that we wanted to develop her at all five positions,” Phillips said. “We alternated days in practice by having her work out with points, wings and posts on a rotational basis. In turn, she worked on all facets of her game to become the epitome of a position-less player.”
As a senior, Jones led Mitty (25-3) in virtually every statistical category by averaging 26.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.8 blocks per game.
By the time it was all said and done, the 6-foot-1 guard/wing broke the program’s all-time scoring mark that had stood for 23 years and previously belonged to Kerri Walsh Jennings, a three-time Olympic beach volleyball gold medalist who also claimed two NCAA titles in women’s volleyball at Stanford.
“She was a human highlight reel,” Phillips said. “Even when Haley was guarded, she was open to score. And while we have touched upon her ability to score, she also led our team in rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.”
Her only trip to a state final came in 2017 as a sophomore, then was eliminated in excruciating fashion as a junior in triple overtime to Pinewood in the NorCal Open title game — the Monarchs went 29-1 and finished as the No. 1 team in the nation — and came up shy of the ultimate goal again this month to Salesian in the NorCal semifinals.
“I definitely learned from success, but mostly from setbacks,” Jones said. “Whenever we didn’t achieve what we wanted to as a team, it gave us more motivation to make it happen the next time around and it fueled our fire to go even harder during practice so we wouldn’t have to feel that way again.”
It will be fun to find out how the incoming freshman at Stanford will view herself after four years on The Farm as her time as a Monarch comes to a close.
“I have had some of my best high school memories alongside my Mitty teammates,” Jones said. “They have become some of my best friends on and off the court. We have accomplished so many things that most people could never dream of and we do it all for each other. The bonds what we have made will last a lifetime.”

Friday, March 15, 2019

JONES NAMED NAISMITH POY

gostanford.com, March 15, 2019

Incoming freshman Haley Jones has been named the Naismith Trophy Girls' High School Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday.

The nation's consensus No. 1 recruit, Jones is the first top prospect to sign with Stanford since Chiney Ogwumike came to The Farm as the top player in the country in Nov. 2009. Ogwumike is Stanford's only previous winner of the Naismith Trophy High School Girls' Player of the Year award, taking home the honor in 2010.

SC’s Haley Jones wins national award



Archbishop Mitty’s Haley Jones, a Santa Cruz native shown shooting a jumper over Pinewood’s Trinity Copeland on Feb. 22, was named the Naismith Trophy Girls’ High School Player of the Year.

santacruzsentinel.com, March 15, 2019

Archbishop Mitty senior basketball star Haley Jones, a Santa Cruz native, was named the Naismith Trophy Girls’ High School Player of the Year, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Friday.

The nation’s consensus No. 1 recruit, Jones is the first top prospect to sign with Stanford University since Chiney Ogwumike came to The Farm as the top player in the country in Nov. 2009. Ogwumike is Stanford’s only previous winner of the Naismith Trophy High School Girls’ Player of the Year award, taking home the honor in 2010.


Stanford recruit Haley Jones named 2019 Naismith girls' high school player of the year

Naismith player of the year Haley Jones is headed to Stanford next season.
espnw.com, March 15, 2019

Stanford women's basketball recruit Haley Jones was awarded the Naismith Trophy as the Girls' High School Player of the Year on Friday.

Jones, the No. 1 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Top 100, averaged 26.1 points and 12.1 rebounds per game this season for Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California).

Jones joins Chiney Ogwumike (2010) as the only two Stanford recruits to win the award. Other past Naismith winners include Christyn Williams (2018), A'ja Wilson (2014), Breanna Stewart (2012), Maya Moore (2006-07) and Candace Parker (2003-04).

Jones, a 6-foot-1 wing, finished her career at Archbishop Mitty with 2,126 points and 1,058 rebounds. She is next scheduled to play in the McDonald's All American Games on March 27.


Mitty’s Haley Jones named Naismith basketball player of the year



Archbishop Mitty’s Haley Jones (30) shoots a jumper against Pinewood’s Klara Astrom (11) in the fourth period of their Central Coast Section Open Division girls basketball championship game in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019. 

Darren Sabedra, mercurynews.com/, March 15, 2019

Haley Jones did it all for Archbishop Mitty this season. Friday, the Stanford-bound star was named the Naismith national girls basketball player of the year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

Jones led Mitty to the Central Coast Section Open Division championship and a 25-3 record, averaging 26.1 points, 12.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.7 steals and 2.8 blocks per game.

Along the way, she became Mitty’s all-time leading scorer, breaking a record that beach volleyball legend Kerri Walsh Jennings held for 23 years.

Jones finished her high school career with 2,127 points, to go with 1,058 rebounds, 400 assists, 252 steals and 240 blocks.


Isaiah Stewart of La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana was named the Naismith boys player of the year.

“These two players have had outstanding seasons and have shown they have the talent and drive to play at the next level,” Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club, said in a news release. “We are proud to have them join our list of student athletes who have won the Jersey Mike’s Naismith High School Player of the Year honor and look forward to watching them play throughout their careers.”

In the release, Mitty coach Sue Phillips said, “This honor is a testament to her quality of character, hard work and dedication to perfecting her craft.  Haley is incredibly deserving as she worked tirelessly on all facets of her game to become the epitome of a position-less player and the best in her class.”


Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Haley Jones: Number One Women's Basketball Recruit


Cinthia Tafoya, kron4,com, March 12, 2019

At Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, banners adorn the gym, depicting alumni who are now pro athletes: Brandi Chastain, Kerry Walsh-Jennings, and maybe one day, Haley Jones.

"I see her playing in the WNBA, I see her setting all kinds of records, not just in high school but in college, because she can do so much. There's nothing she can't do. We literally play her positions 1 through 5," says coach Sue Phillips.

"I think I came in as a versatile player, but being here, being able to be coached by coach Phillips, I just improved, basically every aspect of my game and continued. I wasn't ever tied down to play one position," says Haley Jones.


Thanks to that versatility, Haley is the nation's number one recruit for 2019, a distinction the high school senior has taken in stride since first learning she was in the top spot.

Haley Jones scoops up more girls basketball honors

Archbishop Mitty’s Haley Jones, of Santa Cruz, and Charlize Andaya (3) celebrate a 72-51 win over Pinewood in the Central Coast Section Open Division girls basketball championship game in Santa Clara, Calif., on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019.

Julie Jag, santacruzsentinel.com, March 11, 2019

Even for the No. 1 girls basketball recruit in the country, Haley Jones has earned a lot of awards.

The Santa Cruz native picked up another one Monday when the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association named her its Player of the Year.

“The WBCA is pleased to name Haley Jones as the 2019 WBCA High School Player of the Year,” Danielle Donehew, executive director of the WBCA, said in a press release. “Haley has played an integral role in guiding her team to an extraordinary season and is very deserving of this distinguished honor. The WBCA applauds Haley for her hard work, dedication and contributions to the game.”

Jones averaged 26.1 points — sixth best in the state — and 12 rebounds per game during her senior year at Archbishop Mitty, where she was named the West Catholic League’s Player of the Year.

The Stanford-bound Jones is the only California player selected to the WBCA All-America high school team. Charisma Osborne from 2018 state Open Division champion Windward School was named honorable mention.

On a busy Friday, Jones was named one of five girls selected nationally for the Naismith Trophy first team and was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic showcase on April 20 in Las Vegas.


She has also been selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American game, scheduled for March 27 in Atlanta, and is one of three finalists for the Gatorade National Girls Player of the Year award. The winner is expected to be announced later this week.


The Haley Jones Blog: Season ends, Monarch Madness, Grown-ish and more


usatodayhss.com, March 11, 2019

Hi everyone, it’s Haley Jones here with a new edition of my blog: Daily Dose of Haley! Last time I checked in I told you all a few things about myself, so you could get to know a new side of me. In this edition I hope to continue that while giving you a taste of what I have been up to. Here’s the breakdown:

more...

WBCA HIGH SCHOOL HONORS


Cardinal trio receives accolades from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association

gostanford.com, March 11, 2019

Three Stanford signees received honors from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association on Monday. Haley Jones was named the WBCA High School Player of the Year and headlined the High School Coaches' All-America team, Fran Belibi also earned a spot on the 10-member All-America squad and Ashten Prechtel collected WBCA High School Coaches' All-America honorable mention accolades.
 
The trio is on the West Team for the 2019 McDonald's All American Game on March 27 in Atlanta. Of Stanford's 24 McDonald's All-Americans all-time, nine will be on the team together next season. The Cardinal's incoming class, which also includes five-star talent Hannah Jump from Pinewood, is ranked second nationally by espnW HoopGurlz.

more...

Sunday, March 10, 2019

Pinewood denied Open title at state, again


Vytas Mazeika, mercurynews.com, March 9, 2019 
None of them will ever wear a Pinewood uniform again after Saturday night’s 69-51 loss to Sierra Canyon in the CIF state Open Division girls basketball championship game at Golden 1 Center.
“Definitely this ride over the past four years has been absolutely amazing,” said Jump, as she fought back tears. “I wouldn’t trade a different group of girls for anything. It’s going to be hard not going to practice next week and seeing all of them, but we’re definitely very close and that’s not going to change.”

Officially, it's no three-peat for Southridge, but Skyhawks behave like champions even in defeat


Alex Tam, The Oregonian/OregonLive, March 10, 2019

The Skyhawks’ dream of a three-peat might have been dashed Saturday, but Cameron Brink wasn’t going to allow the heartbreak and emotions to define their season.

Southridge lost to Benson, 66-42, in the Class 6A state championship game at the Chiles Center. It was an outcome few expected, with tears flowing on the Skyhawks bench as the final buzzer sounded.

For Brink, Southridge’s junior star, she saw her teammates distraught over the loss, but reminded them to stay positive and smile during the customary photo op with the state trophy at the awards ceremony.

“We still got second place,” Brink said. “And we need to show others that you have a good attitude when you lose or when you win. 

“I know it’s not the outcome we wanted, but we’re a young team and I think it’s just a learning experience for us to have a good attitude toward things.”



Van Gytenbeek's heroics lead Cherry Creek over Grandview for 5A girls basketball title


Dan Mohrmann, chsaanow.com, March 9, 2019

Down 10 points with about six minutes left in the game, Cherry Creek coach Clint Evans was starting to lose faith.

But his players weren't.

Little by little Jana Van Gytenbeek and Kacee Kyle helped the Cherry Creek Bruins fight back. And in the final five seconds of the game they pulled ahead and closed it out.

With a 51-49 win over two-time defending Class 5A champion Grandview, Cherry Creek won its first girls state basketball title on Saturday.

"I think we were down 10 with six minutes left," Evans said. "We were just hoping for something good to happen then. I think we got Jana a corner 3-pointer and that was some momentum."


Saturday, March 09, 2019

Cherry Creek upsets top-seeded Highlands Ranch for bid in 5A title game


Cherry Creek Bruins Bella Sparaco (3), left, and Cherry Creek Bruins guard Jana Van Gytenbeek (4) celebrate their victory over the Highlands Ranch Falcons winning the Colorado State girls 5A semi-final at the Denver Coliseum March 07, 2019. Creek won 53-52 to move on to Saturday's final against the Grandview Wolves.

Kyle Fredrickson, denverpost.com, March 7, 2019

A clash of blue jerseys collided near midcourt inside the Denver Coliseum on Thursday night in an explosion of celebration.

The cause: Upset city for the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament. The victors: No. 4 Cherry Creek over No. 1 Highlands Ranch. So, the Bruins deservedly let their voices rise to the rafters.
Sophomore guard Abby Wrede hit a corner 3-pointer with 48 seconds left as the dagger in Cherry Creek’s 53-52 victory. The Bruins advance to face Grandview on Saturday night in the championship game.
“Our bond as a team is the best,” said Cherry Creek junior guard Jana Van Gytenbeek, who led all scorers with 21 points. “It feels amazing.”