4A Second Round Preview: Tricia Bader-Binford Quadrant

Round one is now complete in the Class 5A and 4A girls basketball brackets, leaving 32 teams in the field still looking for the state title. We continue our preview coverage by taking a look at the second round matchups in the Class 4A Tricia Bader-Binford Quadrant. No. 2 Pueblo West (22-1, 10-0 South-Central) vs. No. 34 Littleton (12-12, 3-9 Jeffco) [caption id="attachment_141439" align="alignright" width="260"] Pueblo West's <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/gabby-louther/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/gabby-louther/">Gabby Louther</a></a>, left, shoots a layup against Windsor on Jan. 4, 2020[/caption] The Cyclones are the top seeded squad in the quadrant behind another stellar season from University of Northern Colorado commit <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/hannah-simental/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/hannah-simental/">Hannah Simental</a></a>, who was recently tabbed as the MVP of the S-CL. Simental didn't quite average her normal production on offense with 16.3 points per game this season, but she hasn't had to with a deep roster around that her includes sophomore <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/gabby-louther/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/gabby-louther/">Gabby Louther</a></a>. The 5-foot-10 forward leads the team in rebounds with 5.7 a game and is second in assists, steals and points, all behind Simental. Littleton is challenger after taking down another western team in Denver West on Tuesday 58-44. Senior guard/forward Jasmyn Thompson-Harvey and sophomore forward Ava Youngblood-Yazzi each posted 12 points to lead the Lions, who also pulled down 45 rebounds as team. Battling Louther and the Cyclones' deep bench of forwards will be a tougher task for the Lions' forwards and it could become the deciding factor. Other Pueblo West players to watch: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maya-sanchez/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maya-sanchez/">Maya Sanchez</a></a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/marissa-leyva/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/marissa-leyva/">Marissa Leyva</a></a>, Shae Gallery. Other Littleton players to watch: Brooke Wolanin, Susie Puchino, Ashton Haddock. No. 15 George Washington (18-5, 8-1 Denver Prep) vs. No. 18 Ponderosa (17-7, 6-4 Continental) The Patriots are looking to be the 2020 version of Mullen as George Washington pulled the 15 seed despite having only one loss to a Class 4A opponent all season (Pueblo County). Freshman guard <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jaida-redwine/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jaida-redwine/">Jaida Redwine</a></a> has been must-see basketball as she averages 16.9 points per game, as well as 5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 3.7 steals each time out. Speaking of those steals, the Patriots are a team that gets after it on defense, as seen by their 22 steals a game as a team with <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/iyahnni-qualls/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/iyahnni-qualls/">Iyahnni Qualls</a></a> leading the way with 5.4 a game. Ponderosa comes in after going off on Conifer in the first round with a 71-15 victory in which the Mustangs held the Lobos scoreless in the second and third quarters. Junior guard <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/liberty-line/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/liberty-line/">Liberty Line</a></a> exploded for 30 points and 9 rebounds with 6 made 3-pointers. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/katherine-higgins/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/katherine-higgins/">Katherine Higgins</a></a>, a 6-foot senior, chipped in 12 points and averages 8.7 boards a game, giving Ponderosa the potential firepower to go toe-to-toe with the Patriots, inside or outside the paint. Buckle up for this one. Other GW players to watch: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maya-whiteside/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/maya-whiteside/">Maya Whiteside</a></a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/anisa-turner/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/anisa-turner/">Anisa Turner</a></a>, Bri Wells. Other Ponderosa players to watch: Katelyn Fredrickson, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/carolyn-ho/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/carolyn-ho/">Carolyn Ho</a></a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kayli-spall/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kayli-spall/">Kayli Spall</a></a>. No. 7 Holy Family (17-6, 14-2 Tri-Valley) vs. No. 26 Northridge (15-9, 10-4 Northern) Holy Family is back once again looking to make a run for the final four behind strong, team basketball, this time with junior guard <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alyssa-wells/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alyssa-wells/">Alyssa Wells</a></a> at the helm. She leads the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game and helps the most with 3.7 assists a game on a team that averages more than 13 a night. Wells has also hit 47 3-pointers on the season and has junior forward <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/tyler-whitlock/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/tyler-whitlock/">Tyler Whitlock</a></a> down low getting 9.1 points and 5.7 rebounds a game. Northridge knows how to handle some scorers though after beating Harrison and the state's leading scorer <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/amyah-moore/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/amyah-moore/">Amyah Moore</a></a> in the first round, 66-45. Junior guard Mckenna Cone posted 23 points and sophomore guard <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/seneya-martinez/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/seneya-martinez/">Seneya Martinez</a></a> dropped 20 points with four 3-pointers made from each of them. If the Grizzlies' guards can take over like they did against Harrison, they could be in the making for an upset, but a Holy Family defense that averages 17.7 steals a game will look to make sure that doesn't happen. Other Holy Family players to watch: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/dylan-sanders/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/dylan-sanders/">Dylan Sanders</a></a>, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/daniella-hren/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/daniella-hren/">Daniella Hren</a></a>, Makenna Bertsch. Other Northridge players to watch: Makenna Shaffer, Karly Beck, Katy Jo Werner. No. 10 Air Academy (17-6, 10-4 Pikes Peak) vs. No. 23 Palmer Ridge (13-11, 6-8 Pikes Peak) Rounding out the second round of the Tricia Bader-Binford quadrant is a matchup of two Pikes Peak League rivals in which the Kadets got the best of the Bears in their two regular season matchups, 53-38 and 47-31. Highlighting Air Academy is 6-foot-3 guard and Colorado commit <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kylee-blacksten/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kylee-blacksten/">Kylee Blacksten</a></a> and her 15.6 points per game. She put 19 and 17 points in the two matchups against Palmer Ridge earlier in the season while the Kadets' second leading scorer in junior guard Annie Louthan had 16 in the first game, but didn't play in the second. Palmer Ridge enters after surviving a scare from No. 42 Pueblo East where the Bears entered the fourth quarter trailing by two before prevailing 38-36. Senior guard <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/eden-bonser/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/eden-bonser/">Eden Bonser</a></a> was solid with 17 points, but if the Bears want to pull the upset, they'll need someone to score alongside her. Look for sophomore guard Mia Womack and her 11.1 points per game average to try and be the other offensive answer for Palmer Ridge. Other Air Academy players to watch: <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brianna-sealy-2/"><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/brianna-sealy-2/">Brianna Sealy</a></a>, Capri Dewing, Brooke Moss. Other Palmer Ridge players to watch: Sydney Day, Charlotte Hauke, Hannah Dove.