Season Recap: Patriot League (3A)

The end of the girls’ basketball season in Colorado was cut short due to the advance of the coronavirus. Yet while the end, well, wasn’t much of an end at all — a finality with no closure — the winter season gave us plenty of memorable highlights and sparkling performances that didn’t go unnoticed. Today, the 3A Patriot League goes into the spotlight as we continue our look at league play across the state. <strong>Who won league in ’19-20</strong> University. It went a perfect 10-0 in league. Eaton followed at 9-1, then Platte Valley at 8-2, Brush at 7-3, Estes Park and Liberty Common at 5-5, Sterling 4-6, Strasburg 3-7, Resurrection Christian 3-7, Valley 1-9 and Frontier Academy 0-10. It shook out a little different in the postseason, though. University fell in the Class 3A Great Eight, while Eaton beat Brush to work itself into the state Final Four. The Reds, unfortunately, were still left standing when the coronavirus cancelled the state’s basketball tournaments. <strong>Five players who shined this winter</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="115795" first="Taylor" last="Gollhofer"], 2020, PF, University</strong> Gollhofer, the 62^nd ranked senior in Colorado per PGH, will play for Laramie County next season. On her way out, the 6-foot forward averaged 12.1 points on 61 percent shooting. She also had 6.3 rebounds as the Bulldogs reached the Great Eight. As she embarks on her next basketball chapter, Gollhofer has the size. She has the technique, nice touch, and all the right stuff that make her a dangerous threat in the post. Just look at this: In her first game of the season, she scored 27 on 10 of 13 shooting in a win over Grand Valley. <strong>Olivia Hamel, 2020, F, Estes Park</strong> Hamel didn’t just own the boards in the winter. (She led the league with 13.7 rebounds a game). Queen of Offensive Glass. The Windex Wiper. If a nickname doesn’t stick, her game certainly will leave a lasting mark. Totaling 126 offensive boards this past season, Hamel consistently extended possessions for the Bobcats. Twice during the season, she had a double-double in points and offensive boards alone. She also averaged 11.5 points, leading Estes Park to the 3A postseason. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="95131" first="Kylie" last="Kravig"], 2021, PG, University</strong> Kravig is a top-tier prospect in the state, currently ranked 11^th among juniors in Colorado per PGH. And she was again the catalyst for University, leading the Bulldogs with 13.8 points per game. But really, she does a bit of everything on floor. She also averaged 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 steals. And there’s this stat, too: 131 of 162 from the free throw line (81 percent). Kravig’s stock will be an interesting watch as she embarks on her senior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="145415" first="Cora" last="Schissler"], 2022, SG, Platte Valley</strong> Here’s a sophomore to keep eye out of for over the next two seasons. And that’s good advice for opponents and prospect hunters. Climbing up to 80^th in PGH’s sophomore rankings, she averaged 13.8 points to lead the Broncos in the winter. Relying heavily on her deep arsenal, she hit 64 3s on 195 attempts. In eight games, she at least hit four from behind the perimeter. <strong>Dalayna Tadolini, 2020, G/F, Brush</strong> Tadolini averaged 6.5 points her junior season only to grow into Brush’s biggest offensive threat. The dynamic senior led the league in scoring with 14 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds. Over the winter, she scored 20 or more points in five games, including back-to-back contests against Frontier Academy and Liberty Common, where she went for 22 and 25. <strong>Who was all-conference in ’19-20</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="95131" first="Kylie" last="Kravig"], University [player_tooltip player_id="115795" first="Taylor" last="Gollhofer"], University [player_tooltip player_id="145415" first="Cora" last="Schissler"], Platte Valley Ahana Leffler, Eaton Addie Randel, Eaton [player_tooltip player_id="118734" first="Miranda" last="Wiedeman"], University Dalayna Tadolini, Brush Tatum Flack, Liberty Common Nakaiya Kuskie, Eaton Makayla Kissler, Valley Brooke Bunting, Platte Valley Bree Wilkerson, Estes Park Izzy Swanson, Liberty Common Brooke Rule, Brush Olivia Hamel, Estes Park Taylor Wright, RCS Kenzie Kraich, Brush Andi Schissler, Platte Valley [player_tooltip player_id="145419" first="Bree" last="Bunting"], Platte Valley Eden Pope, Frontier Academy Jasmine Cardona, Sterling Alexis Corral, Brush [player_tooltip player_id="118725" first="Taryn" last="Kravig"], University Ashlyn Richardson, Strasburg