DENVER, Colo (KOAA) — No. 8 Lewis Palmer blew past No. 1 Palisade to secure their spot in the 5A final four. Mesa Ridge boys, Air Academy, and Pueblo East girls each saw their seasons come to a close after falling short in the Great 8.
No. 8 Lewis Palmer 63, No. 1 Palisade 46
Lewis Palmer showed that seedings are just numbers created by computers, and they, in fact, do not matter. The Rangers punched their ticket to the final four with an impressive win over top-seeded Palisade.
Lewis Palmer never struggled, jumping out to a 19-4 lead after the first quarter. Getting the job done on both ends of the floor in the first half, the Rangers limited Palisade to one shot per possession and held them to 35% shooting from the field while also forcing 8 turnovers. Lewis Palmer shot an even 50% from the field, knocking down six three pointers on their way to a 34-13 first-half lead.
Jonas Miller (17) and Devin Vandermeer (16) combined for 33 points to lead the Rangers back into the final four for the first time since winning the title in 2022. Lewis Palmer will take on No. 13 Silver Creek with a spot in the championship game on the line.
No. 13 Silver Creek 62, No. 12 Mesa Ridge 55
Despite a game-high 19 points from J’marius Jones, Mesa Ridge lost in a close matchup to the Silver Creek Raptors. Mesa Ridge held a 27-22 lead after the first half, but Silver Creek opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run. The Grizzlies kept up with the pace of the Raptors, but they still trailed 40-38 heading into the final quarter.
Mesa Ridge took a 43-42 lead early in the fourth, but it was the final time they would see the lead.
With under two minutes to go, the Grizzlies found themselves trailing 52-46. Two quick baskets by Dustin Haley and Isaiah Lucas got them within two points, but a layup and a pair of free throws by Silver Creek pushed it back up to six.
Brian Lamar drilled a corner three with 13 seconds remaining to cut the deficit down to 58-55, but time ran out on a Grizzlies comeback after Silver Creek knocked in free throws to end the game.
No. 3 Montrose 61, No. 6 Air Academy 54
Kinley Asp continued her high scoring post season, pouring in 36 points, but it was not enough to get the win this time. After a slow start in the first quarter, Air Academy trailed 16-8, but went on a second-quarter run to get back into it.
Katelyn Markey’s first basket of the game was a corner three that brought the score to 20-19. Asp ended the half with a three-pointer that evened the score at 26.
The Kadets found themselves with a one-point lead in the third quarter, but it was short-lived. Montrose got back out in front by seven, but the trend of the game continued as Air Academy got back within one.
Though Air Academy trailed by four going into the final quarter, they were unable to get any closer than three the rest of the game.
No. 1 Lutheran 50, No. 9 Pueblo East 30
Pueblo East played hard for the full 32 minutes but ultimately fell short against a Lutheran squad that looks like they could win the whole thing. East struggled to score the ball in the first half, putting up just 6 points in the first quarter and 5 in the second.
The scoring opened up for them in the second half, but Lutheran continued pouring it on as well. East freshman Dejanay Arrington led the way for the Eagles with 13 points.
_____
Watch KOAA News5 on your time, anytime with our free streaming app available for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and Android TV. Just search KOAA News5, download and start watching.