Cedaredge will advance to the 2015 2A Colorado State Basketball Championships in Pueblo starting today.
Meeker had to play two pig-tail games, which they won against Hayden and West Grand, to get into the regional tournament. The lady Cowboys played and defeated Ignacio 63-47 on Friday at Grand Junction Central High School but lost 60-34 to league champion and regional champion Cedaredge.
“Against Ignacio, we came out with a huge amount of intensity and our defensive pressure was more than they could handle,” Coach Chintala said. “We played aggressively on offense too. We really played a solid game; rebounding, shooting, we controlled the tempo and we shut them down with our defense.”
Meeker senior Sydney Hughes led the team with 21 points against Ignacio, pulled down eight rebounds and had five steals. Sophomore Reese Pertile scored 15 and finished with 12 rebounds, Halle Ahrens scored 11 and senior Jamie McLaughlin scored eight. Senior Megan Parker scored four points and Madi Shults added two.
The tables were turned against Cedaredge, as the Bruins took control early and shut Meeker down.
“Cedaredge is a darn good team,” Coach Chintala said. “They score a lot, have very few turnovers and they play good defense. We got into foul trouble and didn’t handle it well.
“They were hitting three-pointers and we were missing our shots,” he said.
Hughes again led her team with 18 points, Pertile added six, Parker four, Ahrens three, Anna Walsh two and Julia Eskelson made a free throw.
“The kids and myself had high expectations for this season, and we did well,” Coach Chintala said. “We lost a lot of seniors last year but still did well, surprising some.
“Our three seniors worked hard every night and led by example, showing the younger kids what they needed to do to be successful,” he said. “Jamie and Megan didn’t have a lot of varsity experience, but they showed a lot of maturity and stepped up to lead their team.
“Sydney was our only returning starter and she led our team in all categories but rebounding; she is one of the better players in the state,” Chintala said.
He said he is already looking forward to next year.
“Our younger kids have gained a lot of experience and we return two starters, so we have plenty coming back,” Chintala said.
