Colorado High School Basketball News

Get prepped . Neil H. Devlin and Joe Nguyen blog on the high school sports scene in the Rocky Mountain Empire.

Mesa Ridge's Tiffani Jackson celebrates with Gabby Purnell and the rest of her teamates after Jackson scored the game winning shot in the final seconds of the state 4A girls basketball championship game at the University of Colorado in Boulder on Thursday, March 13, 2014.

Sasha Hernandez bounced the basketball halfway down the court and then hurried to catch up to it.

Denver East guard Dominique Collier worked against Highlands Ranch defender Keith Coleman during a Class 5A playoff game this season.

OK, Vail Christian boys basketball had spring break and mission trips, and it took until Monday to get together for its awards.

There's one certainty for the 4A girls' basketball state champions: Mesa Ridge is Kylee Shook's team for the next two seasons.

It's no easy task to stand out on a court filled with 20 of Colorado's best girls basketball players, half of whom have already signed to play at the Division I level.

At times this season, all Barry Clark could do was sit back and watch his Air Academy boys' basketball team methodically roll over its opponents.

The Sterling boys' and girls' basketball teams held their respective banquets this week to celebrate another year of accomplishments and dish out letters - along with some ice cream - and awards.

Two new eras started Friday at Doherty with a similar theme: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The Brush Beetdiggers hosted their winter sports banquet on Tuesday. Announced at the dinner were the All-Conference and All-State members of the 21013-14 girls' and boys' basketball teams.

Sam Howard of Colorado Springs Christian Schools is The Gazette's small schools basketball Player of the Year.

Pine Creek is hoping to elevate its boys' basketball program to the level of some of its other successful programs.

Gabby Purnell of Mesa Ridge High School was selected as The Gazette's big school girls' basketball Player of the Year.

Fruita Monument's Mackenzie King tries to dribble around Montrose's Stephanie Rowan, back, and Macy Gurule, 9, Thursday in Fruita's 2-1 loss.

Shelby Patterson of Peyton High School was selected at The Gazette's small school girls' basketball Player of the Year.

As each missed opportunity and minute went by, frustration and exhaustion began to wear on Class 4A state title contenders Cheyenne Mountain and Sand Creek on Tuesday night in the squads' Pikes Peak Athletic Conference season opener.

Mountain View's Emma Sterkel , Loveland's Tatum Rembao and Annika Anderson, Berthoud's Taylor Armitage, Kristina Cavey and Kendall Baker and Thompson Valley's Maddy Dickens and Lexy Schoonover make up the 2013-14 All-Area girls basketball team.

CHSAA released their 2013-14 All-State selections for girls and boys basketball, and eight local athletes stood out during the season, in turn, making the cut.

LeeRoy Needens may have earned numerous awards during his coaching career, but one of his favorite things about coaching was "developing pride in his kids and teaching them life lessons through the game of basketball."