WELD COUNTY – Hailing from “The City Above the Clouds,” Woodland Park’s roster had every right to feel as if it could look down upon even the fabled Cloud Nine after its history-making effort Friday in Kersey.

“The first-ever winning record for girls basketball at Woodland Park,” head coach Craig Macari said. “First-ever trip to the state tournament, and first-ever state tournament win. Two years ago, we won three games with, basically, this same group of girls; that’s where we’ve come from.”

Hoping to have a shot at back-to-back CHSAA Class 3A State Champion Platte Valley in the Broncos’ own gym, WPHS got – and very much needed – a mammoth 23-point, 26-rebound double-double from senior post Isabella ‘Bella’ Slocum in a 50-49 victory over Ignacio in 3A-Region VI semifinal action.

Fifteen of Slocum’s points came during the fourth quarter, in which each team tallied a thrilling 20 points, and many came via second- or third-chance putbacks as the Panthers, seeded 22nd in the state tournament’s opening Round-of-32, decidedly controlled the glass.

“The ball goes up toward the rim, and we can count on her getting the rebound on either end,” Macari said of Slocum.

Junior forward/center Jaedyn Kohn totaled eight points and 10 boards. Junior guard Stella Schroeder scored seven points (including 3-of-6 shooting from the foul line during the fourth). Freshman post Karease Broeker chipped in five – all during a second quarter. IHS, the No. 11 seed, led 11-10 after the first quarter, but lost a 16-12 advantage when WPHS went on a 10-0 run during the last 5:36 of the first half.

With 4:18 left in the third quarter, junior guard Darlyn Mendoza-Lechuga needed assistance off the court after an apparent left thigh/hip injury, and it could have been catastrophic for the ’Cats. She did not return to the game.

“Everybody was a little scared, I think,” said senior guard Laci Brunson, “but we had to regroup. There was still a lot of time left to play basketball. We were still in it and just had to keep fighting.”

Trailing 24-21 when Mendoza-Lechuga was injured, Ignacio then truly got into the battle that Brunson’s quarter-starting three-pointer signaled was brewing. With junior guard Maci Barnes hitting two free throws, junior center/forward Solymar Cosio working inside for two baskets and senior forward/center Harmony Reynolds converting a steal into two points with 55.6 seconds left, IHS closed to 28-27.

Kohn, who’d hit an open jumper after an inbounds pass was deflected off IHS just before Mendoza-Lechuga’s exit, then dropped in a basket. Cosio responded with a buzzer-beater at the other end – leaving the score 30-29 going into the final frame.

“It was very energetic, very fun to play in,” she said of the overall atmosphere. “We just had to make sure we kept our heads in the game no matter what happened. We had our fans behind us but we had to stay focused on what we had to do.”

Assisted by sophomore reserve DaLaney Wesner, Brunson buried a game-tying trey 45 ticks in. Able to outmuscle Ignacio on the boards, the Panthers rebuilt a 37-32 lead before Barnes cashed a corner three. Motivated by the unstoppable Slocum, Woodland Park answered with a deuce, but Barnes (8 points) struck from deep off the left wing.

“I’d drained one, then Laci passed me the ball again, and I was open so I shot again,” Barnes said. “I was pretty happy that I was on fire.”

“There was a couple times we let (Brunson) loose in the corners, and then Ignacio had a girl … knock a couple threes down in the fourth – those were huge shots,” Macari said. “I don’t know if she’s done that normally all year, but great for her for stepping up tonight.”

“There’s nights where she’s just on, you’ve got to see that,” Cosio (8 points) said. “She’s always giving 100% – whether she has four fouls (as she did before her two triples) or no fouls – and when she’s on, she’s on.”

With the ’Cats trailing 39-38 but closing faster and faster, Slocum effectively took matters into her own hands and caught IHS off-guard by taking her own game out to the perimeter. Taking a Kohn pass, Slocum sank an unexpected three-pointer to rebuild WPHS’ advantage to 44-38.

Even with WPHS in the bonus for the final 3:10 of regulation, the ’Cats never relented.

Behind 45-40, Cosio and Brunson netted takes to the hoop as the clock ticked under two minutes to make it a one-point game. Cosio fouled out with 1:46 left, but the game was still very much afoot.

Brunson (12 points, six assists) made two free throws before Cosio’s departure, and Wesner (five points) later finished a breakaway to keep Ignacio within two, 50-48. Woodland Park junior guard Brenna Larsen fouled out vying for a rebound with 0:23.7 left and Olguin (five points, eight rebounds) hit one of the two resulting free throws.

Able to milk the clock to under 10 seconds, the Panthers had a chance to effectively clinch victory. Kohn, however, inexplicably clanked two FTs with 5.2 seconds left.

With 1.1 to go and following a Macari timeout, the ’Cats still had hope with a chance to inbound on the baseline.

Barnes passed to Brunson, who then heaved a shot needing to fly three-fourths the length of the floor.

The two-handed try fell short, and IHS’ 2022-23 season was abruptly over.

Reynolds, who logged eight first quarter points, finished with 12 to match Brunson’s team-leading count.

Ignacio went 13-of-20 from the free-throw line. Woodland Park ended up 5-of-12 during the fourth quarter and 6-of-15 overall.

“As a whole it was well-played by both teams,” Macari said. “Both made good adjustments to what the other was trying to do, and we got lucky enough to make a few free throws to come out ahead.”

Improving to 14-10 overall, Woodland Park advanced to face 6-seed PVHS (16-7), which had ripped No. 27 Rocky Ford (10-11) in the preceding semi, 60-16.

Ignacio finished 11-11 for a second straight year.

“We’re never guaranteed anything,” Cosio said. “We just have to leave everything on the floor, whether we’re going to win or lose. And we’re always going to play to win, never going to play with fear. Every game’s a dogfight, you could say, and challenges us and makes us better, win or lose. It was good to come out with a good record to lead us into next year.”

“I mean, we only lost by one; I’m so proud of my team for battling,” said Brunson, who suited up for the last time along with Reynolds, plus reserves Autumn Sage and Alexis Ortiz. “We’re out, but I love my team. This was one of my most fun years.”