Highlands Ranch's Depth Keys Victory Over ThunderRidge

By Mike O'Connell

HIGHLANDS RANCH—Highlands Ranch, the top ranked 5A girl’s basketball team in the Denver Post/9News poll, went into enemy territory Friday night, and in a highly charged, packed gym emerged with its top spot intact.  The Falcons escaped, but not without some anxious moments in the fourth quarter as they escaped with a 50-41 win over ThunderRidge.
 
The first quarter started out like a heavyweight fight which behooves the two combatants. Between the two schools they have won eight out of the last nine big school championships with Regis staking their own claim to primacy last year. With a lot of feinting and jabbing mixed with foul trouble incurred by two Highlands Ranch starters, plus a combined 10 turnovers by both teams in the first quarter, Highlands Ranch managed to forge ahead 8-7 at the end of one frame.
 
It wasn't pretty but it rarely is when the stakes are so high and, until the final four, they don't get any higher than they were Friday night.
 
"We came out a little nervous and hyped-up the first quarter," said super-sub Michaela Neuhaus of Highlands Ranch. "I know I started thinking about the game yesterday and had trouble sleeping."
 
While her slumber may have been fitful, when the hyper-quick ball of fire, Neuhaus, came in during the second quarter she lit a fire in her moribund squad.
 
“My role is to provide energy, whether it is shooing the ball, getting down on the floor for loose balls or passing ahead to our shooters, I do what it takes to help my team,” Neuhaus said. “When I'm sitting on the bench I try to get a feel for the tempo of the game and do what I can to fit the flow."
 
Neuhaus was aided and abetted by her fellow sub Lindsay Mallon, a lean 6-footer, who hit two long threes and two foul shots in the second quarter for eight points. The underrated Mallon, a junior, who must fight for playing time on the loaded Ranch team, finished with eight points, five rebounds and two assists and didn't miss a shot in a very productive stint off the bench.
 
Said Mallon, "I'm a utility player on our team. I do what needs to be done. I can post up or I can play point. I am used to shooting threes and both of mine felt good. I knew they were going in."
 
Neuhaus and Mallon would be stars on almost any other team but must bide their time and wait their turn at Highlands Ranch.
 
Observed Mallon: "What separates our team from other teams is our bench. We are deep. My strong suit is passing the ball and we have multiple scorers I can go to. The ball rotated to me tonight in the second quarter and I had time to square up from the three point line."
 
After a rather pedestrian first half which ended 22-18 in favor of Highlands Ranch, the Falcons put on their defensive shoes and held ThunderRidge to four points in the decisive third quarter and the Grizzlies had to play catch up the rest of the way.
 
Liza Heap, who is Highlands Ranch's premier defender, wrecked havoc in the third quarter, grabbing steals, causing turnovers, passing to open teammates and using her length against the primary threats from ThunderRidge, Carly Needles and Brooke Jelniker.
 
The Grizzlies did not go down without a fight. After being thoroughly outplayed in the third quarter and being down by 15 points, they mounted a furious charge in the fourth, fueled by Needles' three long three-pointers which closed the gap at the three minute mark to 43-37.
 
They could never get closer and had to resort to fouling.
 
Despite the uneven quality of the game and totaling a ghastly 19 turnovers, Highlands Ranch proved to be pretty efficient on offense, registering 16 assists on the night.  
 
Perhaps the key to the game was that ThunderRidge registered 18 turnovers but only had seven assists.
 
Ball movement and defensive pressure ruled supreme in the ThunderRidge gym Friday night.
 
Can any team stem the onslaught of talented players that Highlands Ranch throws out there? They win when their primary players sit the bench with foul trouble and have subpar games. They win when they turn the ball over. They have stars on the bench.
 
Everyone has a month to figure out the formula to beat Highlands Ranch.

Contact the writer at newsroom@milehighhoops.com