6A girls basketball: Grandview downs Monarch to win back-to-back titles

DENVER – A team that won a state championship the previous season may never have been discounted as much as the Grandview girls basketball team.

Last season’s Class 5A state champions graduated two Division I talents and four of its five starters, which opened the conversation for who would rule large school basketball in the debut season of the new Class 6A.

The answer to that question is Grandview, again, after the 11th-seeded Wolves shocked the basketball world  by absorbing nine losses in the regular season, but picked up five hard-fought postseason victories, capped by a 38-28 defeat of No. 4 Monarch Saturday at the Denver Coliseum.

“I am so proud of this group of kids and what they did; it just defies most thoughts,” said Grandview coach Josh Ulitzky, who has now guided the program to four all-time state championships.

“It’s such a credit to how hard they worked and together they are and willing they were to accept what we were asking them to do,” he added.

Of course, the Wolves didn’t have to start completely from scratch, as they had two important cogs back in sophomore Sienna Betts — the recently crowned Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year — and senior Isa Dillehay.

Both were outstanding in the championship game victory, as Betts tallied 20 points and was credited with 20 rebounds, while Dillehay had five points — including a steal and breakaway layup in the fourth quarter that gave Grandview a comfortable cushion — and a number of small hustle plays along the way.

Sophomore Deija Roberson added four points and freshman Lexi Yi knocked down a big 3-pointer for her only basket of the game in the pivotal fourth quarter.

Monarch — which had four seniors in its starting lineup as it appeared in the state championship game for the third time all-time and first time since 2012 — held a one-point lead at halftime as senior guard Natalie Guanella scored 11 points.

The Wolves ratcheted up the defense in the second half, however, and kept Guanella to just three more points and the Coyotes to just 12 points total.

Meanwhile, Grandview got its typical strong work inside from Betts — who played most of the fourth quarter with four fouls — and got key plays from its entire cast.

A 7-1 run to open the fourth quarter, which consisted of a Betts layup, Yi 3-pointer and Betts follow gave the Wolves their biggest advantage of eight points with 4:45 remaining and they never let the lead dip below five points the rest of the way.

“I think everybody doubted us, but look where we are now,” Dillehay said. “It means so much more to me to win this year, in my senior year.”

Betts’ sister Lauren — a McDonald’s All-American who helped lead Grandview to the state title last season — sat in the first row of the stands behind the bench and hung on every play as the time ticked down.

In the closing seconds, Sienna Betts stepped to the free throw line with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes as she shot free throws that were the cherry on top of the win.

“I just realized what we had done,” Betts said. “I just love these girls so much and I’m so proud of them.”

Monarch came up just short as it sought to bring home the first state championship in program history.

The Coyotes — who had fallen in the 2012 state final to Legacy and in 2009 to Regis Jesuit — lost for just the second time in 27 games on the season.

Guanella was the lone player in double figures, while Amelia Rosin added seven points and Areza Safi four.