A year later, No. 3 Air Academy girls hoops gets even with No. 14 Rifle
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY — There’s a saying that those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.
Air Academy girls basketball coach Phil Roiko is a fan of learning. Last year, when the Kadets hosted Rifle in the Sweet 16 of the Class 4A girls basketball tournament, they couldn’t hit shots, they looked gassed on defense and they couldn’t contain Elly Walters.
In 2018, they were able to do all those things. The result was a 42-25 win for Air Academy and a date in the Great 8 with defending state champion Evergreen.
“I thought our defense would keep us in the game,” Roiko said. “Last year, we couldn’t hit and this year we have better shooters and the girls worked really hard.”
It did take the Kadets some time to get rolling, though.
Karly Manuppella knocked down two early 3-pointers and Katy Manuppella added a free throw to help the Bears (22-3 overall) jump out to an early 7-3 lead.
The Kadets (24-1) couldn’t connect on any early shots and the three points came when Zoe Sims attacked the basket, made her shot and got a free throw off a foul.
“That settled us a little bit more,” Roiko said.
Through just a quarter, it was only a two-possession game, but the fast start was definitely able to creep into the minds of the players, coaches and spectators at Air Academy High School. Rifle had pulled off an improbable win a year again, and with the way the game was started there was some brief concern that it might happen again.
“I think it’s one of those things that always crosses our minds,” senior Mary Parchinski said. “We’ve been in this situation before so we knew we had to remain composed.”
And they needed an offensive spark. They got that in the form of Kayla Nocon who came off the bench and scored on two quick layups and then knocked down a 3-ball.
“Everyone coming off the bench needs to be ready, and we are,” Nocon said. “We really step up to meet the same level as the girls on the floor and that’s what the coaches want.”
The Kadets also amped up their pressure defensively, deciding that the best way to put the Bears back on their heels was make them work on the offensive side of the ball.
The 2-3 zone that Roiko had his girls running really took a toll on what the Bears were trying to do to remain in the game.
“It really threw us for a loop,” Rifle coach Kristy Wallner said. “They did a good job taking us out of stuff that we wanted to do.”
In the second half, the Kadets looked very much like the team that was ranked No. 2 in the CHSAANow.com poll. Parchinksi scored nine of her game-high 12 points in the third and fourth quarters.
Walters scored a team-high nine for the Bears, but had to grind for each and every point that she got.
“She’s tough,” Roiko said of Walters. “The idea was to constantly stay on her and I think that worked. She scored nine and that doesn’t happen very often.”
With one mental hurdle out of the way, the Kadets now have one more to deal with. The road to the Denver Coliseum still runs through Air Academy, but it’s the defending state champs who will be traveling it.
Evergreen and Air Academy will tip on Friday night, with the winner advancing to the 4A Final 4.
“They’re fun to watch,” Roiko said. “But I’m happy that game is here and not there.”
