MBN Roundup: Girls basketball

Excitement about Mullen girls basketball making the Class 4A final four permeated through the campus as quickly and effectively as the recent frigid cold.

The Mustangs also are the 14^th seed. No other girls team alive in this week’s rounds is relatively close in terms of lower seeding and of the top three classifications in boys, only the No. 14 Pueblo East Eagles can match Mullen’s designation.

For Mullen, is it a case of poor seeding, the Mustangs playing over their heads, just dumb luck or all of the above? The Mustangs are 18-8 on a six-game winning streak and won eight of their past nine games. Their only in-state losses are to Cherry Creek and Grandview (twice) and Regis Jesuit. All three are in the 5A final four. And they beat two-time defending 4A state champion Evergreen. And in the bracket, they won at No. 3 Pueblo West and No. 6 Montrose.

The Mustangs will face No. 2 Holy Family in their half of the final four on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Denver Coliseum. The other half is No. 4 Pueblo South vs. No. 1 Air Academy, 5:30 p.m.

Below are the final fours and quarterfinals with seeds for the top three classes that will crown titles this week:

5A boys: 1. Chaparral; 2. Mountain Vista; 3. Rangeview; 5. ThunderRidge.

4A boys: 1. Lewis-Palmer; 2. Longmont; 4. Holy Family; 14. Pueblo East.

3A boys: 1. Lutheran; 2. Sterling; 3. Manual; 4. Vanguard; 5. Delta; 7. Montezuma-Cortez; 8. Denver SS&T-Stapleton; 11. Resurrection Christian.

5A girls: 1. Highlands Ranch; 2. Regis Jesuit; 4. Cherry Creek; 6. Grandview.

4A girls: 1. Air Academy; 2. Holy Family; 4. Pueblo South; 14. Mullen.

3A girls: 1. St. Mary’s; 2. C.S. Christian; 3. Pagosa Springs; 4. Delta; 5. Eaton; 6. Lutheran; 9. Alamosa; 10. Centauri.

Here is a link to the 4A girls bracket: http://www.maxpreps.com/tournament/6Vry2uOcEeiAxKkkK9HIDg/71MqJ-OcEeiAxKkkK9HIDg/girls-basketball-
winter-18-19/2019-chsaa-girls-basketball-state-tournaments----class-4a.htm