PREP HOOPS
Loveland, Thompson Valley fall in away games
WINDSOR –– With the Class 4A state tournament right around the corner, Thompson Valley’s nonleague matchup at Windsor arrived at a perfect time.
Upon facing the No. 6-ranked Wizards in their second-to-last contest of the regular season, the No. 12 Eagles obtained a taste of the top-tier talent they could very well come across in the playoffs.
Despite suf fering through a one-sided af fair in which Windsor marched its way to an 88-42 victory, TV exited the gymnasium knowing the tough-to-swallow outcome can serve as both a wake-up call and an opportunity for growth as the postseason approaches.
“It’s an opportunity we’ve never really got,” coach Paul Arrington said. “We always played decent teams. But playing a top team helps us know where we need to be. That’s what it takes. If you go out and get shocked like that during state, there’s no chance. So at least we got that experience out of the way before state. Hopefully, we can learn from it and move for ward.”
Though the final score suggests a stressfree outing for the hosts, Arrington’s young squad happened to enjoy promising glimpses into what the future may have in store for his group, which has no seniors on the roster.
Particularly early on, while jumping out an 11-10 edge at the 2 minute, 52-second mark of the first quar ter, the visitors held their own via demonstrating poise on both ends of the floor.
“We came out with a lot of energy in the
very beginning,” junior Amelia Solt said. “We held onto that as long as we could, but they star ted knocking down ever ything. We just need to remember that we’re a young team, and we need work our tails off every minute.”
Lightning escaped from the bottle thereafter as the veteran-led Windsor (11-1) utilized its evident size advantage to clog the lane when TV (10-3) was on of fense and create extra oppor tunities when the gold and black scrambled to gain defensive positioning.
Eventually, while governing Arrington’s group throughout the second frame, the Wizards managed to pull away in a hurry before stretching a once-thin advantage to 50-19 by the break.
“We have to be able to box out on the other end and prevent second chances,” Arrington described. “We don’t have the luxury of having any error. We have to box out and get in position. That’s what we didn’t do enough of.”
Including phenomenal long-distance shooting, Windsor seamlessly executed most aspects of its game plan. Nevertheless, similar to TV’S prior opponents, even the Wizards had no answers for Solt.
The star junior scored eight of the Eagles’ first 11 points while temporarily keeping her team within striking distance.
Frequently pulling off dazzling crossovers to create space at the top of the key, Solt eventually finished with a squad-most 21 points of f four conver ted 3-pointers.
“Being able to do that against this team is definitely a confidence boost,” Solt said.
“And we have a game (Friday) so we can forget about this one and hopefully come out and have a better outcome.”
Up next, the Eagles wrap up the regular season on Friday when welcoming Longmont to its home gym. After seeing their eight-game winning streak snapped on Thursday, it’s safe to assume TV will tip of f the campaign finale owning some extra juice.
Plus, they gained a sense of what’s required to operate dominantly in all facets of the game at Windsor. Now, it’s time to begin putting its increased knowledge to the test.
And if one thing is for certain, it’s that no powerhouse will catch the Eagles off-guard during the do-or-die postseason following Thursday’s defeat.
“It’s definitely helpful to play teams like this,” Solt said. “Now we know what to expect more in the playoffs. Plus, it’s exciting knowing that we have a lot of room to grow. And this game should help us improve.”