AURORA | Facing the same opponent for the third straight season in the Class 5A girls state basketball, Regis Jesuit got the same result Tuesday.
The Raiders knocked Fort Collins out of the 5A postseason for the third consecutive year with a 54-40 home victory that put them in 5A’s quarterfinals for the eighth year in a row.
Justine Hall provided a calming influence along with a game-high 23 points for Regis Jesuit, which also had Diani Akigbogun score 13 points and Kelsi Lidge and Neffie Lockley add six apiece as the Raiders moved into Thursday’s Great 8 at the Denver Coliseum.
Regis Jesuit (23-2) is set to face third-seeded Horizon (18-7), which knocked off No. 2 Cherry Creek 59-51. The Raiders beat the Hawks 54-51 on Dec. 13.
Game times for the four quarterfinal games will be announced Wednesday morning by the Colorado High School Activities Association. Aurora’s other No. 1 seed, Grandview, is also among the eight qualifiers as it downed visiting fourth-seeded Rock Canyon 59-33.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at [email protected] or 303-750-7555
(1) REGIS JESUIT 54, (5) FORT COLLINS 40
Score by quarters:
Fort Collins 11 10 10 9 — 40
Regis Jesuit 16 12 14 12 — 54
FORT COLLINS (40)
Kasey Dietrich 0 0-0 0, Nicole Lange 7 0-2 14, Payton Humpal 3 1-2 9, Katy Coperus 3 2-3 8, Ashley Evans 3 1-3 7, McKaylee Thurgood 1 0-0 2, Austyn Casale 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 4-10 40.
REGIS JESUIT (54)
Justine Hall 10 2-2 23, Diani Akigbogun 5 3-4 13, Kelsi Lidge 2 1-2 6, Jess Lewis 1 0-1 2, Jordan Molyneaux 1 0-0 2, Anna Ptasinski 1 0-0 2, Neffie Lockley 3 0-1 6, TaeKenya Cleveland 0 0-0 0, Wendy Dyer 0 0-0 0, Katie Drexelius 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 6-10 54.
3-point field goals — Fort Collins (2): Payton Humpal 2; Regis Jesuit (2): Justine Hall, Kelsi Lidge. Total fouls — Fort Collins 12, Regis Jesuit 14. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
