AURORA | Fran Belibi keeps dunking and the Regis Jesuit girls basketball team keeps winning.
The Raiders’ sophomore phenom threw down her third breakaway dunk of the season — this time in front of a large and boisterous home crowd — and coach Carl Mattei’s team dominated defensively in the second half to move into the Sweet 16 round of the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament.
Belibi’s first quarter dunk provided two of her game-high 21 points, while junior Noelle Cahill added 11 and senior Korynne Chaney had 10 as 11th-seeded Regis Jesuit downed 22nd-seeded Fort Collins 64-35. It was the sixth time in the past eight seasons the two teams had met in the postseason.
The Raiders (18-6) moved on in the Alice Barron Region into a Feb. 28 Sweet 16 contest on the road at sixth-seeded Fossil Ridge, a 59-32 winner over No. 27 Broomfield. Game time is to be announced.
BETTER QUALITY!! pic.twitter.com/6MF1Dz3v8T
— RJHS Girls BBall (@RJHSGDBball) February 25, 2017
Belibi’s dunk came during a tight first quarter that Regis Jesuit finished with just a one-point lead, then stretched the edge to eight at halftime with a second period featuring six points apiece from Belibi and Chaney.
Mattei challenged his team to step up its defense in the second half and the Raiders responded by limiting Fort Collins to five points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth quarter.
Regis Jesuit finished the game with its largest lead as it held the Lambkins off the scoreboard for the final 4:38. Belibi made five of six free throw attempts in the final quarter and Olivia Ayers made some late hoops to boost the lead.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
REGIS JESUIT 64, FORT COLLINS 35
Score by quarters:
Fort Collins 12 11 5 7 — 35
Regis Jesuit 13 18 15 18 — 64
FORT COLLINS (35)
Sami Fitz 2 0-0 6, Delsie Johnson 3 2-3 9, Maiya Swanson 4 0-0 9, Emily Williams 1 0-0 2, Karson Maitland 2 3-4 7, Izzy Layne 1 0-0 2, Evan Fischer 0 0-0 0, Parker Humpal 0 0-0 0. Totals
REGIS JESUIT (64)
Fran Belibi 8 5-6 21, Korynne Chaney 4 0-0 10, Jada Moore 1 1-2 3, Emma Wrede 2 0-0 4, Noelle Cahill 4 3-4 11, Olivia Ayers 2 1-2 5, Sidney Weigand 3 0-1 6. Totals 24 10-15 64.
3-point field goals — Fort Collins (4): Sami Fitz 2, Delsie Johnson, Maiya Swanson; Regis Jesuit (2): Korynne Chaney 2. Total fouls — Fort Collins 14, Regis Jesuit 8. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
