GRAND JUNCTION – Serenaded by teammates and fans Saturday afternoon with the song “Happy Birthday to You” after Dove Creek’s Class 1A, Region I, Bracket 2 defeat of Rocky Mountain Lutheran, senior guard Shania Kibel’s day couldn’t have gotten much better.
Having regained Dove Creek the lead with a transition pull-up jumper that put Lutheran down 6-5 early in the first quarter, Kibel later hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer that increased the lead to 23-7 and cashed Dove Creek’s fifth and final trey in the fourth quarter. Her day was capped with a congratulatory hug from head coach and mother Julie Kibel as the San Juan Basin Leaguers secured their spot in the state championships 60-21.
“It’s what we’ve worked for all year,” said Julie Kibel. “We’d set our season goals first for the San Juan Basin League, second was districts, then today we wanted to be a regional winner, believe it or not.”
Kibel said her only disappointment was the Bulldogs’ man-to-man defense, sacrificed during practices for work on their 1-2-2 zone.
“So, I felt we were a little sluggish there, but offensively we were right where we want to be,” Julie Kibel said.
An early two-point basket by sophomore Sophia Thiel and free throw by senior Hailey Rice helped the Denver-based Eagles to a 5-2 lead over Dove Creek, which got on the scoreboard with a pair of free throws by Lexi Gray. Dove Creek starters Tara Buffington and Kylie Gatlin, meanwhile, had been benched by two personal fouls.
The Lady Bulldogs, however, stormed ahead with a 15-0 run fueled by a Kibel 17-footer, a Barnett three and a Gray bucket in the paint. With 2:04 left in the first quarter, Dove Creek led 15-5.
“I think we were still a little flat from the bus ride up,” Gray said. “Took us a while to get all the lead out of our feet.”
“I think that’s all it was today,” said Barnett. “Once we started hitting those threes, we were just all calm, and it was back to knowing who we are, what we’re capable of,” she said. “That ‘chemistry’ we always talk about was there; it was pretty awesome.”
“We missed, probably, our first six shots,” noted Julie Kibel. “Then once we got the lid off the basket and started making them, you could just see everybody just get into a rhythm.”
Fouled by RML junior Tiffany Goduto as the second quarter expired, Barnett swished two free throws to send Dove Creek (21-1 overall) to their locker room in control, 42-12. The third quarter ended 47-14.
“We watched film, and we knew what kind of defense they were going to run; that’s why our zone break worked so well today,” Barnett said, speaking of the Eagles’ 52-4 loss the previous weekend to Westminster Flatirons Academy. “Our defense slacked a little, so that’s just something we’re going to have to improve on for next week.”
Having booked three fourth-quarter two-pointers, Gray scored a game-high 20 points. Kibel had 12 points; and Barnett, nine. Sophomore Kalie Gatlin came off the bench to tally seven, and junior starter Rylee Hickman registered six.
“We scored deep; that’s what makes me happy,” Julie Kibel said. “It’s just really cool how we always have a new big scorer.”
Rice totaled seven points in defeat; Thiel and sophomore Ginny Shade, six; and senior Nielli Jenkins, two. The 11-10 Eagles went 7 of 18 from the foul line while Dove Creek hit 5 of 6.
“We had a lot of turnovers and stuff the second half. We could have cleaned that up and had more points,” said Gray. “But I’m feeling really good. … All the pieces fell in together.”
Up next, the Lady Bulldogs will meet 20-1 McClave in the Great Eight Thursday at 7 p.m. at University of Northern Colorado’s Butler-Hancock Athletic Center. McClave advanced with a 35-25 win over South Baca County in Region III, Bracket 1.
“We’ve worked since I was in sixth grade – elementary school – together as a group. We’re just so tight. We’ve worked together for so long, and it’s the best feeling to go back to state,” Barnett said.
“Everybody wants to be that team going to the Great Eight,” said Julie Kibel. “And I told these girls no one’s going to roll over at this point of the season.”
