The 2024 edition of the 2A State Basketball Championships begin Thursday in Loveland. The boys tournament, especially Thursday, should be an exciting one with all 4 games that could go either way.
**THESE PREDICTIONS ARE IN NO WAY A FORM OF SHOWING FAVORITISM TOWARDS A TEAM, AND IN NO WAY ARE MEANT TO BE TAKEN AS CHEERING AGAINST ONE. IT’S CALLED “MARCH MADNESS” FOR A REASON**
GIRLS
QUARTERFINALS (THURSDAY, MARCH 7TH)
- #4 Hoehne Lady Farmers def. #5 Simla Lady Cubs 8:45am
- Hoehne is the first team out of the 2A/1A Santa Fe that we see, the Farmers have a press that causes opponents fits in the backcourt. Simla comes in out of the 2A Black Forest. Both teams come in fresh off Regional Championships, with Simla pulling the upset in Region 7 as the #10 seed.
- #2 Rangely Lady Panthers def. #7 Wiggins Lady Tigers 11:45am
- Rangely’s one loss this season came against 3A Yuma by 5 back in December. Since then the Panthers have won 17 in a row, including the Region 2 Championship last weekend. Wiggins brings a team to Loveland with 3 seniors and 4 freshmen. The Tigers finished 3rd in the 3A/2A Lower Platte and upset #4 Sanford to reach the State Tournament.
- #6 Denver Christian Lady Thunder def.#3 Burlington Lady Cougars 4pm
- We saw Denver Christian early in the year at the Katte Classic and the Thunder looked good, currently their on a 12-game win streak with their last loss coming to Flatirons Academy back in January. Burlington. Burlington’s last loss to a team from Colorado was against Akron (whom Denver Christian beat in the Regional Championship) to open the season, with their other 3 losses coming against teams from Kansas.
- #1 Merino Lady Rams def. #8 Mancos Lady Bluejays 7pm
- Merino has cruised to a 24-0 record this year, behind their press that shuts teams down. Averaging 59 points on offense while only allowing 30 on defense gives the Rams the advantage in the first round. Mancos comes in off a Region 8 Championship that saw them take down Del Norte in the semifinal and then escape with a 4-point win over Sedgwick County in the Championship
SEMIFINALS (FRIDAY, MARCH 8TH)
- CONSOLATION: #3 Burlington Lady Cougars def. #7 Wiggins Lady Tigers
- CONSOLATION: #8 Mancos Lady Bluejays def. #5 Simla Lady Cubs
- CHAMPIONSHIP: #2 Rangely Lady Panthers def. #6 Denver Christian Lady Thunder
- CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 Merino Lady Rams def. #4 Hoehne Lady Farmers
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY (SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH)
- 5TH PLACE: #3 Burlington Lady Cougars def. #8 Mancos Lady Bluejays
- 3RD PLACE: #4 Hoehne Lady Farmers def. #6 Denver Christian Lady Thunder
- CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 Merino Lady Rams def. #2 Rangely Lady Panthers
BOYS
QUARTERFINALS (THURSDAY, MARCH 7TH)
- #1 Simla Cubs def. #8 Fowler Grizzlies 10:15am
- Fowler was the only double digit seed to win their Regional after a 53-50 overtime win over #4 Plateau Valley. The Grizzlies have been playing with a chip on their shoulder since their loss to Holly in the District 6 semifinals (also in overtime). Simla is one of two teams that are undefeated in the 2A bracket. The Cubs took care of business in the Region 1 Tournament with a win margin of 53.5 in the two games.
- #5 Limon Badgers def. #4 Heritage Christian Eagles 1:15pm
- It seems like Limon is always in the conversation to pull some upsets when it comes to the second weekend in March. The Badgers were the #9 seed in last weeks Regional Tournaments and showed they deserve to be in the conversation after a 19 point win over #8 Mancos in the Championship. Heritage Christian had a slight scare against Holyoke last week in the Region 5 Championship, the Eagles two losses this season come to teams in 3A (Pagosa Springs 64-49 and Bishop Machebeuf 63-62). Since that loss to the Bison, Heritage Christian has strung together 12 straight wins.
- #2 Merino Rams def. #7 Denver Christian Thunder 5:30pm
- 2 of Merino’s 3 losses this year come to teams they may meet up with sometime in this tournament (Simla 55-47 and Limon 62-46). Denver Christian has 4 of their 5 losses to teams that made the playoff field in 3A/4A, with their 5th loss coming against Heritage Christian.
- #6 Sanford Mustangs def. #3 Crowley County Chargers 8:30pm
- This game is going to be the one to watch in the first round, and of course it’s the night cap of Day 1, so you’ll have to stay up late for it. Sanford always seems to find a way to win when it comes to March and this year is no different. The Mustangs needed the help of a buzzer beater 3 in overtime to win their Regional Championship, but like the saying goes “Sanford doing Sanford things”. The Chargers have once again put together an undefeated season heading into the Great 8. The last two years have not been kind to the Chargers in Loveland, going 0-2 the last two years. This one’s a flip of the coin.
SEMIFINALS (FRIDAY, MARCH 8TH)
- CONSOLATION: #8 Fowler Grizzlies def. #4 Heritage Christian Eagles
- CONSOLATION: #3 Crowley County Chargers def. #7 Denver Christian Thunder
- CHAMPIONSHIP: #5 Limon Badgers def. #1 Simla Cubs
- CHAMPIONSHIP: #6 Sanford Mustangs def. #2 Merino Rams
CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY (SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH)
- 5TH PLACE: #8 Fowler Grizzlies def. #3 Crowley County Chargers
- 3RD PLACE: #1 Simla Cubs def. #2 Merino Rams
- CHAMPIONSHIP: #5 Limon Badgers def. #6 Sanford Mustangs
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