Green Mountain girls hoops wins 5th straight after edging Chatfield

LITTLETON — It was defintely a game of runs between Green Mountain and Chatfield girls basketball teams Saturday at Chatfield High School.

Green Mountain had a 15-0 run to open up a 33-18 lead midway through the third quarter. Chatfield answered with a 16-0 burst to actually take a 40-37 lead in the fourth quarter.

“I figured at some point they would put the (defensive) pressure on us and try to make a run,” Green Mountain coach Matteo Busnardo said of the Chargers completely erasing the Rams’ double-digit lead.

However, Green Mountain rallied in the final minutes to eventually escape with a 52-48 road victory. It was the fifth straight victory for the Rams (6-2 record) heading into Winter Break.

“It’s huge,” said Green Mountain junior Kantyn Pearson, who had a team-high 18 points for the Rams. “We think we have a pretty good team and a chance at state.”

It was also the third win in five days for Green Mountain. It was a heavy week of games for the Rams before heading into the break.

“This has probably been the hardest week of coaching for me,” said Busnardo, who has been battling an illness himself this week. “We had three tough games with Chaparral, Lutheran and Chatfield. We just find a way.”

Green Mountain had to find a way to overcome the streaking shooting from Chatfield senior Josie Lynch. The forward gave the Chargers (2-2) an early lead with a pair of 3-pointers in the opening minutes. Lynch got hot in the third quarter with two more 3-pointers that helped Chatfield rally and get the game tied 37-37 going into the fourth quarter.

“Josie is a great player,” Busnardo said of Lynch, who finished with 18 points. “We talked about it before the game that she would be looking for her shot.”

Pearson and senior Julia Schafer (14 points) both had a pair of big baskets in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Gracie Herring also hit a huge baseline jumper to keep the Rams going offensively in the fourth quarter.

“One of our the biggest emphases this season has been composure. We had a rocky couple of minutes,” Pearson said of the Chargers’ 16-0 run from late in the third quarter until early in the fourth. “But, we were able to get it back.”

Sophomore Addie Evans sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with 7.1 seconds left to give Green Mountain the 4-point lead.

“Pretty much all of our close games have come down to free throws,” Pearson said. “Those are huge.”

It was also an emotional game. Kantyn’s older brother — Cayson Pearson — was remembered during a pre-game ceremony. Cayson started his high school basketball career at Chatfield before finishing up at Green Mountain. Cayson passed away Jan. 2, 2024 after a long battle with depression.

The Cayson Pearson Memorial Scholarship Fund was established shortly after his death. In 2024, nine scholarships totaling over $9,000 were awarded to Colorado college-bound basketball players. The hope is to increase the scholarships awarded to more than $11,000 in 2025.

“It has been a lot for Kantyn,” Busnardo said with it coming up on a year since her brother’s death. “I think the connection with her brother going to both schools (Chatfield and Green Mountain), the day as a whole. We talked and I said there are things bigger than basketball. What happens today doesn’t matter, win or lose. The big thing that matters is we are honoring your brother for a good cause.”

Kantyn has been the Rams’ leading scorer this season averaging nearly 14 points per game.

 “I defintely wanted to win this one more,” Kantyn said.

Green Mountain and Chatfield will be raising money for the scholarship fund when the boys basketball teams face each other on Friday, Jan. 3, at Chatfield High School after Winter Break. 

To learn more about Cayson Pearson Memorial Scholarship Fund and events, go online at caysonpearson.com.