More photos. (Tim Visser/TimVisserPhotography.com)
DENVER — Broomfield girls basketball is two wins away from regaining its familiar label of state champions.
“We are definitely hungry. We are ready. We want it bad,” Broomfield senior Bri Wilbur said after the Eagles’ 74-51 victory over Palmer Ridge in the Class 4A state quarterfinals Saturday night.
The Eagles won five consecutive 4A hoops titles from 2007 to 2011.
Broomfield fell just short of regaining its championship form last season when the Eagles lost in overtime to Pueblo South in the 4A title game. In 2012, Broomfield came up short against eventual champ Air Academy in the state quarterfinals.
“That is always in the back of our minds,” Broomfield junior Callie Kaiser said of the last two season-ending losses. “We really want it that title back.”
More photos. (Pam Wagner)
The victory Saturday at the Denver Coliseum sends No. 1 seed and undefeated Broomfield (26-0) back to the Coors Events Center in Boulder. The Eagles face No. 1 seed Valor Christian in the 4A semifinals on Thursday, March 13.
Palmer Ridge (22-4) did give Broomfield a game through the first half. The Eagles led 37-28, but pushed their lead to 22 points — 62-40 — at the end of the third quarter. Kaiser and sophomore Brenna Chase were huge in the Eagles’ 25-point third quarter.
Kaiser played just four minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. She scored eight points in the third quarter and finished with 10 points on the night.
“I wanted to come out here and do what I could,” Kaiser said. “Getting those two fouls quick really slowed my momentum down, but our team played really well and got the momentum going for us.”
Wilbur, who finished with 18 points, credited Kaiser for Broomfield being able to pull-away from Palmer Ridge after halftime.
“Callie, right after halftime, stepped up her game and I think that was the spark for our third quarter,” Wilbur said. “It was good with everyone scoring like that.”
Five Eagles finished in double-digit points. Sophomore Brenna Chase had a team-high 19 points, including going 3-for-6 from 3-point range. Junior Nicole Lehrer had a big first half scoring all of her 15 points before halftime. Sophomore Brenna Fankell came off the bench for 10 points.
Turnover problems plagued Palmer Ridge throughout the game. The Bears were credited with 24 turnovers.
“We really got into them. We picked them up early and started finishing (off turnovers),” Kaiser said. “We talked about having good defense and not allowing them to control the game.”
Palmer Ridge senior Ali Meyer led the way for the Bears with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting. Senior Rhyley Lane (eight points) helped the Bears’ cause with a pair of 3-pointers in the first half.
The closest game the Eagles have played this year was an 18-point victory over 5A’s ThunderRidge. Wilbur said she didn’t mind a test before heading to Boulder.
“It was really fun. Palmer Ridge had a really good defense and it was fun to go against it,” Wilbur said. “We just played our game and played hard. That kept us going.”