Twice is nice for both Eads, Hi-Plains

    Two dominant Class A basketball programs repeated as state champions Saturday with the Eads girls defeating Briggsdale 59-37 and the Hi-Plains boys completing an undefeated season with a 63-60 win over No. 2 seed Caliche at Air Force's Clune Arena.

    The Eads girls were led by Talli Hansen's 28 points inside in recording their seventh championship and fourth for coach Lane Gooden, who won his second in a row.
    "It feels amazing," Hansen said. "I wouldn't trade this for anything."

    Ahead 13-12 after one quarter, Eads dominated the second and third quarters by limiting Briggsdale to 10 points. Jordan Barnett also helped Eads to a 31-16 halftime lead by scoring nine of her 14 points in the second quarter.

    "In the second quarter they went to a man defense and we went into our Eagle offense, which created space for Jordan," Gooden said. "They were doubling back on Talli at that point, so it really helped Jordan to take advantage of the situation."

    In the boys final, Kent Herman made his final six free throws to give No. 1 seed Hi-Plains a 63-60 win over secondseeded Caliche and its second state title in three years.
    "He was clutch," Hi-Plains coach Dave Sheffield. "Kent is a guy that you want the ball in his hands in that situation."

    Down 57-56 with 50 seconds left, Caliche looked to foul Herman, who had missed his first two free throws with 1:23 left, to gain the lead back, but the junior made the rest down the stretch.
    "I knew that I had to stay relaxed and shorten up my shot because I was bricking them off the back of the rim," Herman said.

    Herman led Hi-Plains in scoring with 20 points, while Craig Debus had a team-high 17 points for the Buffaloes. Caliche committed nine turnovers in the second half and four in the final 2:30.

    "Herman missed a couple there so I thought he was a good guy to foul," Caliche coach Randy Kirkwood said. "But boy he hit them down the stretch."

    Gage Rolle scored 31 points for Peetz (21-5) in a 65-34 thirdplace game victory over Flagler (18-7). Crested Butte (20-6) placed fifth with a 61-50 win over Ouray (19-7).

    In the girls third-place game, Jerrica Mallard poured in 27 points for McClave (23-3) in its 61-41 win over Crested Butte (20-6). Haxtun, also 20-6, won 63-53 over Dove Creek (21-5) for fifth.