AURORA | The Class 5A & 4A girls basketball state playoffs tip-off Tuesday with a handful of teams in action and only one playing at home.
EMAC champion Vista PEAK has the home court advantage to open the 4A postseason, as the Bison have a 7 p.m. home contest against 7-15 Cheyenne Mountain, the 33rd seed.
Vista PEAK (17-6) is still in search of the program’s first postseason victory and if it came against the Indians, coach Howard Payne’s team would tie the team-record for wins in a season as well as 18. The winner moves on to play No. 1 Pueblo West.
In 5A play, No. 37 Cherokee Trail, No. 40 Rangeview, No. 42 Overland and No. 45 Eaglecrest all head out on the road for playoff openers.
Cherokee Trail pays a visit to No. 27 Legacy at 6:30 p.m. as it looks to get back into the second round, where it had been in three seasons until Vista Ridge knocked coach Jerry Austin’s Cougars out in the opening round last season.
Eaglecrest snapped a lengthy playoff win drought last season with a road win at Liberty and coach Robby Gabrielli’s Raptors will try to do the same thing to 20th-seeded Columbine in a 7 p.m. contest.
Coach LaMonte Weddle’s Rangeview team also won its playoff opener last season and visits 25th-seeded ThunderRidge at 6 p.m.
First-year Overland coach Robert Dennis leads his 42nd-seeded team into a 6:30 p.m. contest at No. 23 Loveland as the program looks for its first postseason win in a decade.
Fourth-seeded Grandview and sixth-seeded Regis Jesuit had first round byes and join the action with second round home contests on Feb. 23.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Sentinel Prep Sports
2018 CLASS 5A/4A GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Feb. 20
Class 5A state playoffs (first round)
No. 40 Rangeview at No. 25 ThunderRidge, 6 p.m.
No. 42 Overland at No. 23 Loveland, 6:30 p.m.
No. 38 Cherokee Trail at No. 27 Legacy, 6:30 p.m.
No. 45 Eaglecrest at No. 20 Columbine, 7 p.m.
Class 4A state playoffs (first round)
No. 33 Cheyenne Mountain at No. 32 Vista PEAK, 7 p.m.
