East Earns Hard Fought Victory Over Ponderosa

DENVER—The Denver East Lady Angels (20-5) got a scare from the scrappy Ponderosa Mustangs (16-9) Tuesday night, but in the end East’s collective athleticism shone through for a 55-43 victory and a trip to the Great Eight.

But the game certainly was not easy. East controlled the game in the first period utilizing strong inside play from 6-foot-2 forward Deidra Smith. The Angels also sped the game up and made the Mustangs uncomfortable with the pace.

The Angels used seperate spurts of 8-1 and 7-0 to take a 19-10 first quarter advantage. Smith had six points in the quarter on a variety of post moves and University of Colorado bound Shae Kelley poured in four to help build the lead.

In the second frame, however, the Mustangs slowed the game down and went on an 8-2 run of their own. Mustangs’ senior standout Hannah Paust drilled a three-pointer and knocked down a couple free throws during the run.

After slowing the game down to a more controlled pace, Ponderosa narrowed the gap to 27-22 at halftime.

The Mustangs came out strong offensively in the second half. Hayley Peppers drained a three-pointer on the first possession and drove to the basket for a tough layup to knot the game up at 27 all. Defensively, the undersized Mustangs started double and triple teaming Smith, and forced a few turnovers and difficult passes.

After three periods, and a strong Mustangs rally, the score was 35-33, East.

Peppers, right on cue, poured in another three-pointer to take a 36-35 lead—the Mustangs’ first advantage since early in the first quarter. “When they took the lead that could have been a disaster, but we stayed focused and kept or head,” said East coach Dwight Berry.

The Angels definitely kept their heads and used a little senior leadership from point guard Samantha Sanders and Kelley. Sanders was sitting on the bench for a few minutes after picking up her third foul, but upon her return she nailed a three-pointer to recapture the lead.

“I told (Sanders) ‘it’s time to step up. You’re the quarterback of this team,’” Berry said. “She came right in, hit a three, and that started the run.”

East scored nine more unanswered points to go on a 12-0 run in the fourth.  Kelley knocked down some free throws, layups and snared some clutch rebounds in the final frame to help cement the game. “We just played as a team,” she said. “We were a little shaky for a while, but we finished good.”

For Ponderosa, a strong season comes to a close. The Mustangs were led by Paust, who had 11 points, and Peppers, who finished with nine.

Kelley led East in scoring with 17 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds. Smith also had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Now the Angels will face off against the state’s top team, Highlands Ranch, in the Great Eight. “I very much look forward to playing them,” Kelley said. “I think we have the talent to take it all the way.”

Checkout the updated brackets.

Contact the writer at prossi@milehighhoops.com