It seems like the seedings for the Class 6A boys state basketball playoffs have been right so far.
Top-seeded Mountain Vista and No. 2 Rock Canyon won Sweet 16 games on Feb. 25 to advance into the quarterfinals.
Senior Caden Stevens had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the Golden Eagles’ 69-55 victory over Ralston Valley. Gavin Hershberger led Rock Canyon to a 61-51 win over Fountain Fort Carson. Hershberger had 27 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
No. 8 Valor Christian also got a Sweet 16 win with a 63-40 triumph over Vista Ridge.
All three teams will play Great Eight games on March 4 at the Denver Coliseum.
Vista (23-2) and Valor Christian (18-7) will play at 5:30 p.m. while the Rock Canyon (23-2)-Regis Jesuit (19-6) game will be at 8:30 p.m.
It will be the second game this season for the teams. Vista beat Valor Christian 75-66 on Jan. 1, while Rock Canyon edged Regis 59-57 on Jan. 20.
First round games were played Feb. 22 and Stevens scored 17 points as Vista defeated Bear Creek 59-49.
Senior Jeremy Jacob had 27 points to lead Highlands Ranch to a 75-68 victory over Broomfield. Red-hot Rock Canyon shot 60% from the field and routed Rangeview 61-27 as Hershberger scored 19 points and Aidan Peck 18. Sophomore Cole Scherer scored 24 points and Valor Christian had four players finish in double figures as the Eagles whipped Monarch, 102-53.
Ralston Valley eliminated Cherry Creek 55-52 and Denver East got past Arapahoe 72-47. Andrew Crawford had 18 points and Charlie Spann 17 but two-time defending state champions ThunderRidge dropped a 75-56 contest to Eaglecrest as the Grizzlies’ 10-game postseason win streak was snapped.
Legacy notched a 65-38 victory over Douglas County to advance into the Sweet 16 round.
Lutheran was down by a point at halftime but outscored Jefferson Academy 50-21 in the second half for a 64-36 Class 4A first round win. The Lions (17-8) beat D’Evelyn 63-55 in a Sweet 16 game and will face Alamosa (21-3) in a Great Eight contest March 9 at 1:10 p.m. in the Denver Coliseum.
In the Class 5A state playoffs, Ponderosa beat Thompson Valley 83-74 in the first round but then lost a 69-57 encounter to Mead to end its season.
