D’Evelyn girls continue marvelous season, advance to Final Four

BY DENNIS PLEUSS JEFFCO PUBLIC SCHOOLS

DENVER — Peyton Marvel was simply the best player on the court in the Class 4A girls basketball Great 8 game March 3 at the Denver Coliseum.

e D’Evelyn junior had 36 points and 14 rebounds to help lift the No. 2-seeded Jaguars to a 54-47 victory over No. 7 Riverdale Ridge.

“It could be a school record for points in a playo game too,” D’Evelyn coach Chris Olson said of Marvel’s career-high 36 points. “Her last name says it all. I don’t know what else to say. She competes as hard as anyone we have ever had. She takes challenges and preforms on big stages. at is what great players do.” ings looked dicey for D’Evelyn in the rst half with Riverdale Ridge (22-4) taking a 19-12 lead midway through the second quarter. e Jaguars struggled shooting just 29.2 percent from the eld in the rst half.

Marvel topped her double-double average — 19.2 points and 12.8 rebound per game — while advancing the undefeated Jaguars (26-0 record) to the program’s rst Final Four in a decade.

It wasn’t easy by any means.

“I knew my team was struggling from the beginning. I knew I had to pick them up and give them some energy. at is what I did,” said Marvel, who actually scored 15 straight points for the Jaguars from late in the rst quarter until early in the third quarter. “I’m really happy to play with this amazing team. It was a team e ort as well.”

Junior Macy Scheer nally hit the Jaguars’ rst 3-pointer in the third quarter to tie the game up at 26-26. Scheer nished with 7 points.

“I just had to concentrate a little bit more,” Scheer said of her 3-pointer that nally fell with 5:21 left in the third quarter for the Jaguars rst made shot from distance.

Marvel had D’Evelyn other 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter during a huge 11-0 run that pushed the Jaguars’ lead up to 50-41 with just over a minute to play.

“Sometimes when you get into these games it isn’t about the amount of shots you make, it’s the timing of them,” Olson said. “ ose were big shots by kids who love the limelight.”

Marvel lived at the free-throw line making 15-of-19 to help nish the deal and outduel Riverdale Ridge freshman Brihanna Crittendon. e freshman phenom had 28 points, just below her 31.3 average.

“I hope that is the hardest 28 points she has ever had,” Olson said of Crittendon. “I think she had to work for most of them. at is what you have to do with great players. Make them work for everything they get.”

D’Evelyn earns its rst trip to the Final Four since 2013. Olson guided the Jaguars to back-to-back 4A title games in 2012 and 2013. D’Evelyn is still looking for its rst girls basketball state title to add to its two state runner-up trophies.

“I never thought I would ever be in this spot,” Marvel said. “It is amazing just to be here.”

D’Evelyn will face No. 3 University in the 4A state semi nal game slated for 11 a.m. ursday, March 9, back at the Denver Coliseum. Top-seeded