Grandview’s gradual rise from an upstart to one of the elite teams in Class 5A girls basketball seems to be nearly complete.
The Wolves made Final Four appearances in 2012-13 and 2013-14, though they came up just short of breaking through to play for a state championship.
A shot at a state title seems like a very strong possibility for the current version of the Grandview team, which is 25-0 and is set to play Centennial League rival Cherry Creek at 8:30 p.m. Friday in the 5A Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
Coach Josh Ulitzky’s team rolled through the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs showing the type of cold-blooded, relentless play the state’s regular elite such as Highlands Ranch, ThunderRidge and Regis Jesuit — teams that have combined to win 13 of the last 16 state titles — show consistently.
“This team is very businesslike, that’s for sure,” Ulitzky noted after the Wolves’ thorough 81-31 Sweet 16 victory over Fairview March 1.
“They know what’s at stake in the moment and they always go out and try to play well,” he continued. “They have a great bond and we’ve really done a good job of playing for each other.”
The two semifinal runs — spurred by talented, veteran teams — were crucial in building the foundation of Grandview’s rise, but last season’s heartbreaking overtime loss to Lakewood in the second round put the wheels in motion for the current season.
Junior Lenzi Hudson said the 86-83 defeat at the hands of the Tigers — the same team the Wolves could see in the Final Four on March 10 in Boulder if they can get past Centennial League rival Cherry Creek in the Great 8 — stung greatly and brought about a change in the approach of the returning players.
The relentless play has been around all season and was on full display in the Sweet 16 against Fairview, when Grandview left no doubt that its season would march on longer than last season.
“We just keep calm and stay confident,” Hudson said. “We are so motivated that we just want to play our game. This game was our last game last year and losing changed our attitude.
“We just didn’t want to experience that feeling again.”
If the Wolves continue to play with the confidence they did against Fairview, they might not experience the losing feeling a single time this season.
The road will get tougher with the possible matchup against Lakewood or ThunderRidge — which Grandview beat during the regular season — and top-ranked Highlands Ranch looming on the other side of the bracket, but the Wolves’ steely demeanor hasn’t wavered a bit no matter who they’ve faced this season.
Junior star Michaela Onyenwere, who played on the last of the Wolves’ Final Four team as a freshman and has helped the program to a 69-8 record in her three varsity seasons thus far, sees this season’s team as more athletic, deeper and as unified as any she has been on so far.
“I think we’ve created such a great bond on and off the court that it just translates to the court,” Onyenwere said. “With this team, we know we can be successful. We were good last year, but we weren’t as good as we are now.
“We have all the opportunities, all the little elements and all the players we need to be successful.”
Onyenwere (the team’s tone-setter who averages 24.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game), fellow junior Kennede Brown and senior Kayla Vallin boast the most playing experience, while senior Alexus Gash, Hudson and sophomore Jaiden Galloway each came back improved.
There’s no doubt that an infusion of youth has helped Grandview take a big step forward.
The play of freshman post Alisha Davis from the beginning of the season and frosh Allyah Marlett later in the year after she got some seasoning on junior varsity has made the Wolves even more dangerous.
Davis has been a shot blocker extraordinare — 3.3 per game, and she’s been an excellent compliment to Onyenwere, averaging 7.5 points and 7.0 rebounds as well. Marlett opened the season on junior varsity where Ulitzky put her to get more court time, but he knew she would eventually force her way on to the varsity.
Marlett has done so and with a reliable outside shot and ability to get to the basket, she’s scored in double figures four times and tallied eight or more five other times.
“We got really lucky with our freshmen this year,” Hudson said. “We have really good chemistry and we’ve built a good connection that can take us a long way.”
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
GRANDVIEW GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM’S RISE
The Grandview girls basketball team finished just above .500 in the 2009-10 season with a 13-12 mark, then improved to 14-6 the next season and made it to the second round of the 5A state playoffs. The Wolves shot up to 20-6 in 2011-12 and made it to the Great 8 where they were stopped by Highlands Ranch, then made the 5A Final Four in 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons with identical records of 24-3. Last season’s Sweet 16 loss to Lakewood ended the Wolves’ campaign at 20-5.
