(Max Potter/CHSAANow.com)
AURORA — In a showdown atop the Centennial League, the Grandview Wolves came away with a 78-67 win over Cherry Creek.
The Bruins (15-7 overall, 11-2 Centennial League) got off to a hot start and looked poised to take down the mighty Wolves after they led 23-14. But Grandview hit its stride, rattling off 10 unanswered points in the first three minutes and 30 seconds of the second quarter and never looked back.
“We weren’t playing the way we needed to play, we weren’t as intense as we needed to be,” Grandview standout Michaela Onyenwere said. “But we stayed united to go back on that run. I’m really proud that we didn’t give up.”
Big performances from Onyenwere and Leilah Vigil lead the Wolves (21-1, 13-0) to the victory as the two combined for 52 points and had 36 and 16 respectively.
Reflecting on her big night on senior night, Onyenwere was emotional following the final horn.
“It feels great, I love playing for Grandview,” she said. “I love playing with these girls, I love playing with my coach, to end out this way, with a great win over a great team, it’s just amazing and I’m so glad we did it on senior night.”
Through the season, it as though the Bruins were the only team that had a chance to hand Grandview a league loss. But as they have shown all season, the Wolves have just been a little too tough for anyone from the state of Colorado to contend with.
“Cherry Creek has always been good since I’ve been here, just to get this win is an amazing thing to do right before playoffs,” Onyenwere said. “To be league champs again is solidifying to how hard we work, how much of a team we have been this year and how much we have been focusing on that, and I’m really glad we got this win.”
Looming ahead for both teams is one last conference game and then the seeding for the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament. As of Thursday morning, Grandview is nearly neck-and-neck with Highlands Ranch atop the RPI. Cherry Creek is currently sitting at No. 9.
The state brackets will be released on Sunday.