Story by Michael Manoogian ’20 Photos by Michael Manoogian & Chalmers Powell
Denver Coliseum – Still undefeated in Colorado the Raiders move on to the State Championship game after defeating the Lakewood Tigers 47-34.
Once the first points of the game were put up by freshman starter Avery Vansickle, the Raiders had the lead the whole game. Leading the team in points was junior Francesca Belibi with 14 points. The Raiders were also able to pull away from the #2 ranked Lakewood Tigers after going onto a 10-0 run. Vansickle led the team with three pointers. While Jada Moore and Jasmine Gaines each had one three pointer.
Another key component to the game was the Raiders defense which kept Lakewood to only thirty-four points. The Raiders had twenty-five defensive rebounds led by Francesca Belibi who had seven. Francesca Belibi has been a key player throughout this tournament both offensively and defensively and she will have to keep leading this team into their next game.
Next, the Regis Jesuit Raiders will take on the Grandview Wolves for the state championship game. The last time these two teams faced was on December 11, 2017 when sophomore Jada Moore hit the winning free throws to win the game 53-51. The game will take place on Saturday March 10, 2018 at 6:30 at the Denver Coliseum.
