Columbine gives No. 1 Valor a scare

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LITTLETON — Valor Christian’s girls basketball team continued its remarkable conference winning streak Jan. 17, but it wasn’t easy.

Columbine senior Araya Ogden scored a driving layup with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter to cut Valor’s lead to 57-55. However, the Eagles — No. 1 in the CHSAANow.com Class 6A rankings — went on an 11-0 run in the nal minutes to snag a 68-55 road victory.

“It was a really good reminder for us that there are things that we need to go back and continue to work on,” Valor coach Jessika Caldwell said. “Give credit to Columbine. ey had a great game plan and they nished everything around the basket and we did not.”

It was Valor’s 34th straight conference win since the Eagles (13-1, 3-0 in 6A Jeffco) moved up to the largest classi cation to start the 2018-19 season.

Valor hasn’t lost a league game since a 4A Je co League loss to Evergreen back on Feb. 13, 2018. Since that loss not only has the Eagles been perfect in conference play, but they won the 5A state title in 2021 and were the state runner-up last season.

“It means a lot,” Valor senior and Macey Huard said of the undefeated streak and four straight Je co League titles since the Eagles moved up to the largest classi cation. “We don’t feel the pressure of it, but we put a lot of work in to prepare for each game. To go out and have a close game is a little stressful.”

Huard — University of Montana commit — nished with a game-high 29 points. Her biggest basket came late in the four quarter. A 3-pointer in front of the Eagles’ bench pushed Valor’s lead to 63-55 with 1:35 to play.

“Quinn (VanSickle) is a great passer. When she drove I knew she was going to kick it back out to me,” Huard said of the huge 3-pointer in the nal minutes. “I knew we needed that one.”

Huard nished the game with a steal and layup just before the buzzer to win