Mesa Ridge out of character in season-ending loss

GOLDEN • The only kind of flow Mesa Ridge found Saturday afternoon came in the form of tears.

The Grizzlies failed to get going during a 64-55 loss to Mullen in a Class 4A state quarterfinal game that featured 49 fouls and 64 free-throw attempts.

“That’s not our style of play,” Mesa Ridge senior guard Brandi Collins said. “We don’t like to slow it down. We like to run, run, run. There were so many fouls called, it just really screwed us up.”

See a photo gallery from the game

Grizzlies leading scorer Kaitlyn Mileto struggled to find a rhythm. Mileto, a junior who came in averaging 20.5 points per game, missed all of her field-goal attempts, but was perfect from the free-throw line to finish with six points. Mesa Ridge went 21-for-27 from the line.

“They played hard pressure defense, and props to them,” a teary-eyed Mileto said about the Mustangs. “They did a good job defensively guarding me, and they knew me well.”

Despite their shooting struggles, the Grizzlies never trailed by more than six points in the first half and Mullen led just 28-24 at halftime.

An early run put the Mustangs up 34-25 midway through the third quarter, and they took their biggest lead of the game at 42-31 about 10 seconds into the fourth.

Two free throws by Sarah Curby, a layup from Leanndra Gilbert off a Collins assist and a free throw from Gilbert on three straight possessions pulled Mesa Ridge within six, 42-36, at the 6:22 mark.

Curby finished with 13 points to lead the Grizzlies. Gilbert added 11.

Mullen pushed the lead back to 10 over the next 2 minutes on two free throws from Hayley Thompson, who scored 10 of her game-high 17 points at the line, and a fast break layup.

“Unfortunately, just every time we’d get close, they’d start calling fouls on both sides and it really destroyed the rhythm of the game,” Grizzlies coach Eric Hulen said.

Mesa Ridge pulled to within seven points, 54-47, on Morgan Slayton’s 3-pointer with 1:45 left to play. But it was too late. The Grizzlies were forced to foul and Mullen kept converting foul shots.

The Mustangs made 33-of-37 free-throw attempts — including 22-of-25 in the fourth quarter.

Mullen advances to Thursday’ state semifinals in Boulder where it will face Longmont.