Dakota Ridge girls basketball moves to 4-0 in 5A/4A Jeffco League

LITTLETON — A 2-6 start to the season is a distant memory for Dakota Ridge’s girls basketball team.

The Eagles (7-6, 4-0 in Class 5A/4A Jeffco League) picked up their fifth straight victory Wednesday night with a 46-41 victory over Green Mountain. The Rams (8-4, 2-1) had just entered the Colorado Preps 5A girls basketball rankings this week at No. 6.

“Everyone has stepped up to contribute to this run we have gone on,” Dakota Ridge senior point guard Maryn Talyat said. “I’m super proud of all of them.”

Talyat stepped up late to seal the win over Green Mountain. The senior point guard, who never leaves the floor, poured in 11 points in the fourth quarter. Talyat went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line in the final 3 minutes of the game to score a game-high 17 points.

The 17 points was a season-high for Talyat, who was able to handle the Rams’ pressure defense.

“I expected pressure,” Talyat said of the Rams’ style of defense. “I know when the ball is coming to me I have to make a play. If they foul me I have to make those free throws.”

Dakota Ridge got off to a good start taking a 14-4 lead on the Rams in the first quarter. Senior Hannah Galbreath continued her solid play with 8 points in the first half. Talyat, senior Kayce Brace, junior Kate Barbic and sophomore Darian Lewis combined for seven 3-pointers on the night for the Eagles.

Green Mountain junior Julia Schafer (15 points) and sophomore Kantyn Pearson (9 points) spearheaded a second-half rally for the Rams, but they were never able to take the lead away from Dakota Ridge.

“I’m not surprised,” Dakota Ridge’s first-year coach Berto Dryden said. “Coming into preseason and in season they have worked hard. They are like sponges taking in everything we have given them. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

Green Mountain will attempt to get back in the win column when it returns home to face Littleton (6-7, 3-1) at 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, at Green Mountain High School.

Dakota Ridge will try to keep pace with defending league champion D’Evelyn (12-2, 4-0) when the Eagles head up to Evergreen High School to face the Cougars (8-4, 2-2) on Friday night.

“We definitely have a hard schedule coming up, but we are tough,” Dryden said. “We have to go play all these teams, but they have to come play us too. We are going to fight. It isn’t going to be a walk in the park against us.”