AURORA | In a rare early season girls basketball contest with a lot of eyes on it, Sienna Betts and Grandview earned top billing at the end Tuesday night.
A much-anticipated individual matchup within the game took place between Betts, a 6-foot-4 UCLA commit who is ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 in the Class of 2025 depending on the national publication and the two-time reigning Gatorade Colorado Player of the Year, and Ravens’ junior Brihanna Crittendon, a top-10 national prospect in her own class.
Neither player disappointed the large crowd filled with players and coaches from other schools and high-level basketball junkies, as Betts finished with a game-high 26 points and also pulled down 10 rebounds, while Crittendon paced her team with 19. The difference proved to be the composure shown by coach Josh Ulitzky’s Grandview team, which pulled away in the second half for a 62-53 victory.
Sophomore Ava Chang added 15 points and senior Deija Roberson contributed 11 as the Wolves improved to 4-0 on the season in their first game in Colorado following an impressive 3-0 showing at the She Got Game Classic in Dallas.
The contrast of the halves between Grandview (ranked No. 5 in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s preseason Class 6A coaches poll) and Riverdale Ridge (which checked in at No. 9 after moving up in classifications) was stark.
Coach Tim Jones’ Ravens — who came in on an 18-game winning streak that included its win in the 4A state championship game in March — came out determined to show they belonged in the highest classification.
Crittendon tallied 10 of her points in the opening two quarters, which saw Riverdale Ridge push out to double-digit leads on multiple occasions. The advantage crested at 14 points at 24-10 with 3:50 left in the second quarter, but Betts — who had just two points in the first 12-plus minutes — scored six straight in a 9-3 run to end the half to cut the deficit to eight.
After a three-point play by Crittendon 30 seconds into the second half, Grandview dominated the rest of the way. The Wolves turned up the pressure on defense and pounced on the opportunity to take control when Crittendon picked up her fourth foul with 1:44 left in the third quarter.
Grandview fed Betts inside against a smaller Riverdale Ridge lineup and she scored twice and assisted on one of two transition layups by senior reserve Leiava Holliman in an 8-0 burst to end the quarter with the Wolves up 39-35. Five different players had at least one basket in the quarter, which Grandview owned 20-8.
Three more baskets from Betts — including a coast-to-coast drive — extended a deciding 20-3 run for a 47-38 edge with just inside six minutes left.
The lead never got lower than four points and then surged to double figures on a Chang layup and midrange jumper for Roberson.
Grandview heads out of state again to conclude the first portion of the season as it goes to Phoenix for the Nike Tournament of Champions Dec. 18-21.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
GRANDVIEW 62, RIVERDALE RIDGE 53
Riverdale Ridge 8 19 8 18 — 53
Grandview 4 15 20 23 — 62
RIVERDALE RIDGE (53)
Brihanna Crittendon 6 5-6 19, Shay Vigil 2 3-3 8, Payton Meineke 2 0-0 5, Abby Hawkins 2 1-2 5, Chloe Parker 5 2-2 16, Jerzi McArthur 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 11-13 53.
GRANDVIEW (62)
Maya Smith 1 0-0 2, Lexi Yi 2 0-0 4, Ava Chang 7 0-0 15, Deija Roberson 4 3-4 11, Sienna Betts 12 2-3 26, Leiava Holliman 2 0-0 4, Amya Narducci 0 0-0 0, Aliyah Zitek 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 5-7 62.
3-point field goals — Riverdale Ridge (8): Chloe Parker 4, Brihanna Crittendon 2, Payton Meineke, Shay Vigil. Grandview: Ava Chang. Total fouls — Riverdale Ridge 14, Grandview 14. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
