DENVER — It’s the final weekend of the high school basketball season. Colorado Springs Christian School (CSCS) and Air Academy both picked up wins Thursday to advance in their respective tournaments.
CSCS will play in their third straight Final Four and Air Academy is heading back to the state championship for the first time since 2012. Pine Creek’s historic season came to an end in the 6A Final Four.
No. 5 Colorado Springs Christian 48, No. 4 Cedaredge 39
As the two time defending champions, CSCS is no stranger to playing in the 3A Great Eight.
But it was not a great start for the Lions in this one as fourth seeded Cedaredge got out to a 10-3 lead in the first quarter. The Lions did respond with a 6-0 run to make it just a one point game after the first eight minutes.
The second quarter is where they started to look more like themselves. CSCS held Cedaredge to just two points in the second quarter.
The momentum shift came after an and-one from Abigail Perry put them up 13-12. Then, right as the first half buzzer sounded, Mykayla Trujillo drilled a free throw line jumper to put the Lions up 18-12.
CSCS controlled most of the third quarter pace and extended their lead. Midway through the third, Perry came up with another and-one, which put the Lions up 25-15. But, Cedaredge clawed their way back in.
With a minute remaining in the third quarter, they got an and-one of their own, which brought them back within one point. The Lions were clinging onto a three point lead heading into the final quarter.
That lead was quickly gone as Cedaredge knocked down a three pointer to make it all even at 29. The fourth quarter had four lead changes as both teams were trading three pointers for a quick stretch.
Cedaredge took a 37-36 lead, but Rose Ross responded with a quick triple that put the Lions back on top and doing so for good that time.
After her three pointer, the Lions were able to knock down nine free throws to pull away for the win and head to the Final Four for the third straight year.
Ross finished with a team high 18 points while Perry added another 12 for the Lions.
No. 1 Grandview 39, No. 5 Pine Creek 35
By just watching the first half, you would not be able to tell this was the first time Pine Creek had been on this stage. Although it’s their first time in the 6A Final Four and being matched up against the number one seed, Pine Creek came out as the aggressors.
The Eagles got out to a 13-6 lead and would have held the seven point lead going into the second quarter, but Grandview beat the buzzer to cut it down to five. Still not phased by the moment, Pine Creek extended their lead to 18-8 after Brooklyn Stewart’s second three pointer of the half.
But, the tides began to turn. Grandview finished the half on 15-4 run, taking their first lead of the game and going into the locker room with a 23-22 lead over Pine Creek.
UCLA commit Sienna Betts started the second half with back-to-back buckets for Grandview. Oklahoma commit Brooklyn Stewart responded by nailing a mid-range jumper and then getting three blocks across the next four possessions.
But, Stewart’s jumper and a last second steal and score by Leekaya Burke-Perryman was the only Pine Creek points in the third quarter.
WATCH: Athlete of the Week: Pine Creek's Leekaya Burke Perryman
Heading into the final quarter down by six, Pine Creek began chipping away at the deficit, but Grandview was keeping them at arms distance. That is until Burke-Perryman scored a layup to bring the Eagles within three points with less than a minute to play.
After Grandview split free throws to make it a four point game, Burke-Perryman scored once more to get within two, but the game was iced as Grandview sank two more free throws and time ran out on the Eagles season.
Stewart and Burke-Perryman combined for 29 of Pine Creek’s 35 points.
No. 1 Air Academy 68, No. 5 Green Mountain 63
There’s been no secret to how dominant Air Academy has been all year long. Within their perfect 25-0 record, only one of those games has been a single digit affair, until Thursday.
Late into the first quarter, the Rams were only trailing 14-13, but Air Academy made a quick 7-0 run to end the quarter. Five of those seven came on back to back possessions from Lydia Flowers, who scored 16 in the first half.
Air Academy built on that lead in the second quarter, going up by as much 16. But, Green Mountain refused to go away. In the final seconds of the half, the Rams scored four quick points to make it 37-25 at the break.
The Kadets lead was cut to just 59-54 in the fourth quarter with just over two minutes to play. But as poised as Air Academy has been all year, they were able to step up to the free throw line and they never let it get to a one possession game.
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