Three Observations from Dakota Ridge at Cherry Creek
On Monday night, Dakota Ridge traveled to face Cherry Creek in nonconference action. The defending Class 5A state champion Bruins won the game, 85-34, and it was a milestone evening for senior Jana Van Gytenbeek. Here are three observations from…
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Continue ReadingOn Monday night, Dakota Ridge traveled to face Cherry Creek in nonconference action. The defending Class 5A state champion Bruins won the game, 85-34, and it was a milestone evening for senior Jana Van Gytenbeek. Here are three observations from the action.
Jana Van Gytenbeek
Jana just keeps doing “Jana things”
On Monday night, Van Gytenbeek hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter that pushed her career scoring total over the 1,500-point plateau. The Stanford-bound senior point guard finished the game with 24 points on a 10-for-12 shooting effort from the field and also had 12 assists.
“It made me really excited because I do practice my shot every single day,” Van Gytenbeek said of passing 1,500 points. “But also, the only reason I can do that is because of my teammates. They get me the ball, they set screens and do whatever we need to do to win.”
After posting Monday evening’s stat line, Van Gytenbeek is now fourth on Colorado’s all-time list for assists in a career. Her 565 career dimes trails Holy Family’s Katie Chavez, who had 584 in her career from 2012-16, and is just 28 behind all-time leader Michele Eccher (John Mall), who had 593 assists in her career from 1993-96.
Abby Wrede
Abby Wrede and Kacee Kyle look like the Bruins’ future core
For those out there who think Cherry Creek isn’t going to be any good next year after Van Gytenbeek (Stanford) and senior forward Cali Clark (Colorado State) graduate, take note that the Bruins’ cupboard will be far from bare in 2020-21.
Already this winter, 5-foot-8 junior guards Abby Wrede and Kacee Kyle have emerged as two high-ceiling impact players capable of carrying the mantle while the Bruins’ dominant one-two punch is getting its feet wet at the Division-I level. Wrede, for example, has come on strong in the Bruins’ last half dozen games, and is now averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 35 percent (14 for 40) from 3-point range.
“She’s been shooting the ball well and finishing, becoming more of a complete player,” Cherry Creek head coach Clint Evans said. “We ask kids to fight hard over screens and do the little things, and she’s really grown so much defensively in the last year that it’s been a great addition to her game.”
Kacee KyleKyle, a tough-nosed shooting guard who can also play the point, can guard multiple positions and is averaging 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and nearly a steal per game. She is shooting 33 percent (15 for 45) from long range.
“A lot of the things Kacee Kyle does flies under the radar,” Evans said. “We usually put Kacee on the other team’s best guard, so she always has a tough defensive assignment. She does an amazing job of taking away the other team’s best perimeter player, she can bring the ball up so we can get Jana in some other spots, and she knows all the plays at every position.”
The Bruins will also graduate 6-foot-1 senior forward Carly Thompson after this season. But others like 6-foot-1 junior forward Eliza Hill and sophomore shooting guard Charley Gordon also look like they’re ready to step into bigger roles next starting next winter.
Taylor Legault
Dakota Ridge has been through the wringer in January
In their last five games, the Dakota Ridge Eagles have played three ranked teams in No. 6 Ralston Valley, No. 2 Valor Christian and No. 3 Cherry Creek, according to the CHSAANow.com poll. They’ve also played tough teams in Lakewood and Columbine, the latter of which they defeated, 38-35.
Prior to this recent gauntlet, the Eagles had a 5-4 record.
Teams that have Dakota Ridge on their upcoming schedule would be wise to look more closely at the Eagles’ overall record. It’s deceiving.
Five-foot-9 senior guard Emily Doolittle is shooting over 35 percent from 3-point range and has consistently put up double-digit scoring numbers against solid ball clubs this season. Junior Alexis Thornton and senior Taylor Legault are also tough players who can have big games on the right night.
“We’re still young and I think our team is playing hard and we’re growing with every game that we play,” Eagles head coach Rachel Caliga said. “Right now, it’s about developing a mindset to compete with the best of the best. How we’ve played just goes to show that we can executed some of our things against some of the best teams in the state but that we also have to follow through with some of the other things that those top teams in the state will execute.”
With a 3-ball in the third quarter of tonight’s game against Dakota Ridge, Cherry Creek’s @vangytenbeek just passed 1,500 career points! Congrats to the pass-first PG who’ll also end up top 10 all-time in Colorado in assists. #copreps @CHSAA @cchswbball @girlsbballco @StanfordWBB pic.twitter.com/QMxibm0H5P
— Prep Girls Hoops Colorado (@PGHColorado) January 28, 2020