By Will Cornelius
The Surveyor

“It was not a pretty game — but it was a victory in the playoffs,” said girls basketball Coach Alan Gibson after the Spartans won a wild and unpredictable first-round playoff game against the Manitou Springs Mustangs. On Tuesday night No. 12 seed Berthoud High School (BHS) hosted the No. 21 seed Mustangs in the first round of the 4A state girls basketball tournament.
Misfortune struck BHS early as they struggled to put shots in the basket, but the defense held fast. “We just have to get back on D and just focus on what we can control, and we know that our game is our defense,” said senior Lilly Strait after the game about the difficulties on offense to start the game. By the end of the opening quarter, Manitou Springs led 11-6.
The start of the second quarter devolved into a stalemate, with no scoring in the first three minutes. Spartan sophomore Kaylee Padilla changed that when she connected from downtown for three. That sparked both offenses as BHS connected on another two from behind the arc before the Mustangs also hit two threes to take a 19-16 lead. The Spartans clawed back in the final minutes to take a 20-19 lead at the end of the first half.
The thunderous hometown crowd grew even rowdier and louder in the second half. After regrouping at halftime, BHS came out and took control of the third quarter. The Spartans had six players score points to make it 31-28 at the end of the quarter.
The first three quarters saw gritty, tough and intense play from both sides, but that was nothing compared to the final quarter. Two three-pointers from Padilla and Reece Kraljic put BHS up early, but Manitou Springs refused to go away, countering with six of their own points. That trend continued for the rest of the quarter. The Spartans took a bigger lead — then the Mustangs would quickly narrow that lead again.
With 50 seconds left in the game, BHS was on the crest of a win, leading 42-36. But in the next 25 seconds, the Mustangs picked up five points to make it 42-41 with the Spartans holding the slimmest of leads. Strong defense from BHS forced a travel call on Manitou Springs, who then fouled Kraljic. With the game on the line, Kraljic sunk one of her two free throw attempts. Another fierce defensive effort by the Spartans forced a turnover. Free throws from Strait and Katie Vierra added another three points for BHS to close out the game 46-41 for the Spartans.
“On the line with the game on the line and they came through for us — and that’s what you expect seniors to do,” said Gibson about the BHS seniors sealing the game late from the free throw line.
This Friday the Spartans will travel to Lakewood, Colo. to face the Colorado Academy Mustangs in the second round. The two teams met last December at a tournament in Steamboat Springs with Colorado Academy winning 62-51. “We want to get revenge on the team,” said Padilla about looking forward to the rematch.