5A Girls Great Eight Preview

Photo by Pat Miller, patmiller.com

DENVER—The original field of 48 has been trimmed to eight teams, and the battle for the girl’s big school state championship kicks off Saturday night at the Denver Coliseum.
 
The Continental League takes up half the field in the Great Eight, proving it’s the elite conference in 2010.
 
Here’s a preview of Saturday’s four match-ups:
 
Sharon Wilch Region
(1)   Highlands Ranch vs. (2) Denver East
The Falcons are the deepest team in the tournament and have not lost to an in-state team all season. Katelyn McDaniel, Tierra Shumpert and Sendy Valles are all capable of taking over a game for Ranch. While the Falcons boast a deep and talented roster, the Angels might have the toughest starting five remaining in the tourney. Shae Kelley can dominate a game with her scoring, rebounding and passing. Deidra Smith, at 6-foot-2, is a tall task down low. And Angels coach Dwight Berry calls point guard Samantha Sanders the “quarterback” of the team.
 
Carol Callan Region
(1)   Chaparral vs. (3) Heritage
These two teams are no strangers, having already faced off once this year in a conference game (Heritage bested Chaparral 58-50 on Feb. 2). Wolverines’ Lori Laboda is a scorer, and Katie Shepard runs the show as the point guard. For the Eagles, Kim Lockridge should do some significant scoring damage with some aid from Lauren Huggins and Sullivan Ziegler.
 
Kaye Garms Region
(1)   Monarch vs. (2) Regis
This should be a fun one, with multiple younger players proving they can already compete at the state’s highest level. Regis super sophomores, Marquelle Dent and Katie Heckman, have progressed into consistent players for the Raiders over the season. Heckman is capable of blocking 10 shots per game if her timing is right, and Dent is a slasher who will bury the occasional three ball. But the Coyotes tout a couple youngsters of their own in sophomore Alexus Johnson and junior Eliza Normen. Normen is one of the more complete players in the state—a taller player who can play both inside and out. Her ball handling is superb for a lengthy player.
 
Alice Barron Region
(1)   Legacy vs. (3) Fountain Fort-Carson
The Legacy Lightning are led by senior point guard and University of Denver signee, Quincey Noonan. The tall, physical guard has exceptional court vision and passing ability. Carli Moreland pairs with Noonan to form one of the best duos in the state. Moreland averages almost 14 points per game, and her scoring will be crucial against a tough Fountain Fort-Carson team. The Trojans will look to D’Shara Strange, who has put up big numbers all year, to lead them past the Lightning. Strange scored a team-high 20 against ThunderRidge in a Sweet 16 upset.
 
Checkout the updated brackets.
 
Contact the writer at prossi@milehighhoops.com