ARVADA — Ball movement Thursday night was a key to advancing Ralston Valley into the quarterfinals of the Class 5A girls state tournament.
It took a little while for the No. 5-seeded Mustangs to hit their stride against No. 21 ThunderRidge in the Sweet 16 game at Ralston Valley High School. The Mustangs (14-2 record) held just a 8-6 lead after the first quarter, but turned things around to take an eventual 57-29 win.
“I feel like we were slow out of the start,” Ralston Valley junior Saya Sabus said. “Then we just turned it on and it was go, go, go from there.”
Ralston Valley senior Brooklyn Seymour (14) goes up between ThunderRidge senior Angel Makoski (5) and freshman Halle Hanchett (11) during the Class 5A round of 16 game Thursday night at Ralston Valley High School (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Ralston Valley went on a 13-0 run to start the second quarter and held the Grizzlies (8-7) scoreless for more than 8 minutes from the end of the first quarter until ThunderRidge freshman Alexis Baker scored and was fouled with 1:20 left in the second quarter.
Senior Sydney Bevington and Sabus poured in six points each in the second quarter for the Mustangs. Senior McKenna Nichols and freshman Hannah Somorin both hit a 3-pointer each to help Ralston Valley take a 26-9 lead at halftime.
“When our post start touching the ball and we can go inside-out against the zone the shots are easier,” Ralston Valley coach Jeff Gomer said of how the Mustangs attacked ThunderRidge’s zone defense after the first quarter. “Once we realized we could use our posts it’s amazing how it changed.”
What hasn’t changed over the past four years for Ralston Valley is where Bevington continues to do her damage offensive. The senior has more that 1,200 points career points and isn’t afraid to pull up with the old-school mid-range jumper.
“She (Bevington) has so much confidence in that mid-range shot,” Gomer said. “People say, ‘Why not have her step out to the 3 with her?’ She is just dead-eye with the 15 to 12-footer. Even on the break she’ll put up for a 10-footer. She shoots it well. It works.”
Bevington scored a game-high 21 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field against the Grizzlies.
Ralston Valley freshman Sophia Sabus takes a 3-pointer during the second half Thursday night against ThunderRidge. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“That’s how I’ve always played with driving and the mid-range shots,” Bevington said. “It’s always open with the offense we run. It’s been successful so I’ve been keeping it that way.”
ThunderRidge couldn’t get much going offensively with Ralston Valley using pressure defense through the first three quarters to keep the Grizzlies from getting into a rhythm offensively.
“I think with our defensive pressure and size we were able to get traps in the corners,” Bevington said. “I think that helped swing the momentum with forcing those turnovers.”
Ralston Valley advances into the Great 8 for the third time over the past four years. The Mustangs hit the road to face No. 4 Highlands Ranch on Monday in the 5A state quarterfinals. The impending snowstorm predicted to hit Colorado from Friday night through Sunday moved all Great 8 basketball playoff games from Saturday to Monday, March 15.
“We sure would like to take another step here,” said Gomer, who guided the Mustangs to the state quarterfinals last year where Cherry Creek ended Ralston Valley’s season. “Highlands Ranch is hard to play against. We’ll watch some film, get them on the floor, roll the ball out there and see what happens.”
Ralston Valley has won 12 straight games. The Falcons (13-2) have won 9 straight games.
“We just have to go out and play our best,” Sabus said. “That’s it.”
Ralston Valley freshman Hannah Somorin (23) applies defensive pressure Thursday night during the Mustangs’ 57-29 victory in the Class 5A state Sweet 16 game against ThunderRidge. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)