D’Evelyn girls hoops runs past Heritage to open up Jeffco Jungle Jam Tournament

DENVER — Constant defensive pressure and a 20-plus point run led to D’Evelyn coming out victorious in its opener of the Jeffco Jungle Jam Tournament on Wednesday night.

The Jaguars (3-0 record) turned a 16-11 lead into a 41-11 lead with an impressive 25-0 run against Heritage. The run started with 6:07 left in the second quarter until the Eagles ended their scoring drought with 1:50 left in the third quarter. 

“We have been focused on running a lot in practice and getting in shape,” D’Evelyn senior captain Maddie Topping said. “I have always loved playing defense. Getting a steal is the best feeling in the world. I really think defense is where it all starts.”

D’Evelyn stayed undefeated on the season with a 58-23 victory. Heritage slipped to 1-4 after just returning to a four-game stretch in three days out in California. 

“The way we play we are going to turnover the ball and miss a few shots, but then we’ll score eight points,” D’Evelyn coach Chris Olson said. “It’s the mentality knowing those runs are going to happen and string as many of those runs together as you can.”

The Jaguars advanced to the semifinals of the tournament it co-hosts with Littleton. D’Evelyn has the tall task ahead of facing Monarch (5-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, on the Jaguars’ home court. The Coyotes — No. 10 in the current CHSAANow.com Class 5A girls basketball rankings — defeated Northfield 67-17 in the first game of the night Wednesday.

“Obviously we are very excited,” Olson said of facing Monarch. “It will be fun to play them. For us and where our program is tradition wise those are the kind of games you want to play in. You play a top-10 team in 5A and see what you are about.”

Topping, along with sophomores Macy Scheer and Payton Marvel paced the Jaguars against the Eagles. Topping had a dozen points in the 35-point victory. It’s the fourth year on varsity for Topping, who averaged more than 8 points per game her sophomore and junior seasons.

“I joke with Maddie that it seems like it is her seventh year here,” Olson said. “She brings a lot of experience.”

Topping really wants to make the most of her senior season after COVID forced a shortened season where the Jaguars finished runner-up to Green Mountain for the 4A Jeffco League title.

“I’m just really excited, especially after COVID last year,” Topping said. “We get to play more games. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s definitely a lot more pressure, but being a leader on this team has been such an amazing experience so far.”

Scheer and Marvel came off the bench to spark the Jaguars. Scheer knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and scored 8 points in the first quarter. She finished with a team-high 14 points. Marvel got hot in the second quarter pouring in 7 of her 13 points. 

“She (Marvel) does so many uncoachable things,” Olson said of Marvel, who is nearly average a triple-double in points, rebounds and steals through three games. “Watching her get a rebounds sometimes it’s like … How did she get that? Where did she come from? Part of it is her size and instincts.”

D’Evelyn has a busy run of five games in a 12-day stretch before Winter Break. The Jaguars actually start 4A Jeffco League play on the road against Evergreen on Tuesday, Dec. 21.

“I like playing everyone twice,” Olson said of the 4A Jeffco League format with home and away match-up in the 9-team league. “I think it challenges you as a coach. I think it makes it more fun for the kids. If you lose one game you know you get another shot at them.”