More photos. (Matt Mathewes/MVPSportsPics.com)
DENVER — It’s been a long drought for the Poudre girls basketball team, but the Impalas finally earned a spot in the Class 5A final four.
Poudre upended Cherry Creek 47-38 in Thursday’s Great 8 to advance to next week’s state semifinals in Boulder.
Cherry Creek, a number-two seed, struggled to get untracked. The Bruins didn’t score their first basket until 6 ½ minutes had expired. By that time, Poudre had built up a 6-0 lead.
Cherry Creek briefly took a lead on Laura Pranger’s 3-pointer, but the Impalas, behind twins Ashley and McKenzie McDaniel, retook the advantage, which grew to seven before a Molly Rohrer’s short jumper cut Poudre’s advantage to 25-20 by halftime.
Every time the Bruins seemed intent on making a run in the second half, the Impalas answered. Despite a height advantage by the Bruins, Poudre got good production inside from twins Ashely and McKenzie McDaniel, who combined for 17 points, but got its biggest push off the bench from Cecelia Berkner, who scored a game-high 15.
Poudre coach Curtis Glesmann said his team executed its defensive game plan well.
“We just had to make a good mess in the paint,” he said of counteracting the taller Bruins.
A big factor in that was senior Myanne Hamm.
“My first couple of shots didn’t fall,” Hamm said. “I made up for the shots I couldn’t make (with defense).”
Glesmann said playing in the Front Range League helped his team down the stretch.
“We feel like we’re battle tested,” he said.
As for helping the team make its first trip to the final four since 1978, Hamm said its been a season-long goal.
“It’s what every senior wants,” she said.