Highlands Ranch wis 3rd straight 5A crown

   BOULDER - Jenessa Burke hit a 3-pointer with 48.9 seconds left and sunk a key free throw down the stretch Friday night as Highlands Ranch won its third straight Class 5A state championship with a 59-54 victory over Regis at the Coors Events Center.

   The title marks the sixth in nine years for Highlands Ranch (25-3), which finished the season with an 18-game winning streak.

   Trailing 52-50, Burke, who finished with eight points, took control at the top of the key, had a good look from beyond the arc and nailed the shot, giving the Falcons a 53-52 advantage.

   Regis forward Kamile Nacickaite then committed an offensive foul and Jade Davis hit one of two free throws with 29.1 seconds to play to give Highlands Ranch a 54-52 lead.

   Regis was forced to foul Burke 10 seconds later, and the junior forward hit one of two shots for a 55-52 Falcons lead.

   After Mary Bokenkamp converted a pair of free throws to pull Regis within 55-54 with 7.9 seconds left.

   Fulps led Highlands Ranch with 14 points, while Allysa Fressle and Taylor Johnson scored 13 and 10 points, respectively, for the Falcons.

   Nacickaite led all scorers with 20 points and Kelsey Roben poured in 10 for Regis (25-3). 

   In the Class 4A title game, Chaundra Sewell scored 12 points and Broomfield used stellar defense to lead Broomfield to its second straight state championship with a 50-34 victory over Silver Creek.

   Mariah Metoyer, who will play at the University of Denver next year, scored 11 points and Anna Prins added 10 for Broomfield (27-1), which lost its only game this year to Silver Creek on Feb. 1.

   Jessie Jones led Silver Creek (25-3) with a gamebest 17 points.