Quantity, not quality, was the key for Wheat Ridge winning its first playoff game under fifth-year coach Heather McAdams.
The No. 5-seeded Farmers (18-6) used their pressure defense to force Palisade into 49 turnovers in the first round of the Class 4A state girls basketball tournament Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Wheat Ridge High School. The defensive numbers added up to a 65-35 victory.
However, it didn’t smell all like roses as the Farmers moved on to a second-round game against
No. 4-seeded Thompson Valley (16-7) at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, in Loveland. Wheat Ridge’s shooting was anything but on, shooting just 25-for-83 from the field for 30 percent. The Farmers shot the ball 49 more times then Palisade, which was 12-for-34 shooting.
Wheat Ridge actually trailed No. 12-seeded Palisade 7-3 midway through the first quarter.
“I’ve got to hold my tongue a little. I don’t want to be too negative,” McAdams said. “If we start like this on Friday it will be disastrous.”
McAdams credited her bench players for providing the energy needed to overcome the sluggish start. Junior Mandy Madrid came off the bench for six points in the first quarter. Wheat Ridge went on a 12-2 run to end the quarter and take the lead for good.
Senior Caitlin Wilkie and sophomore Chloe Gearhart got Wheat Ridge offense out of neutral in the second quarter. Both scored eight points each as the Farmers took a 15-point lead into halftime.
Wilkie finished with a team-high 15 points. Gearhart had 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
“This was kind of a warm up game for us,” Wilkie said. “We needed this because it’s our first playoff game we’ve won in over five years. We got the jitters out.”
Senior Taylor Wirth pitched in 12 points and junior Kelsey O’Connor added nine points to advance Wheat Ridge into the second round.
“Our sights are hopeful,” McAdams said. “We’ll see how far we can go and have some fun with it.”
Thompson Valley placed fifth in the Northern League that features defending state champ Broomfield.