Creek girls’ basketball lost their shot at playing in the 2023 State Championship after suffering a 31-28 loss to Grandview in the Class 6A Semifinals on Friday. The loss, which came after an intense Grandview takeover at halftime, marked the end of the girls’ season. 

Creek’s 2-seed team competed against Grandview, seeded 11, in the Denver Coliseum for a chance to play in the State Championships, which were held on Saturday. The loss came as an upset for Creek, who had previously beat Grandview 56-40 on Feb. 1, and felt like they could’ve won the semifinals.

“We were ready and we were going to win as a team,” sophomore point and shooting guard Tianna Chambers said over text interview. “I was grateful and proud that my team came so far but this isn’t our final stop yet.”

Grandview, who went on to beat Monarch 38-28 in the Championships, earned their spot in the game by turning around a 14-12 score in Creek’s favor in the second half. After two back-to-back 3-pointers and four free throws, Grandview took a 22-14 lead, holding off any opportunities for Creek to score.

Creek made a comeback after Chambers scored on a layup and made three of four free throws, which came after Grandview star player, sophomore center Sienna Betts, was called on a foul. After sophomore small forward and shooting guard A’Neya Chambers and junior point and shooting guard Mireya Johnson helped to regain points, Creek took the lead, 28-27.

“I felt [confident] that this was going to be our game; we just needed to finish and take care of the ball,” Tianna Chambers said. “I was confident that we would get defensive stops.”

With so much on the line, the team was disappointed to lose their shot at a championship. However, chambers viewed the semifinals as just a stepping off point to the more nerve-racking championship game.

“It would’ve been really exciting to win. But not as exciting because we would still have the championship game ahead that we would have to focus on,” Chambers said. “But I was happy that we were one step closer to that title that we worked for.”

Although Grandview re-took the lead after Creek freshman point guard Addy Beck missed a 3-pointer, the team recognizes the loss as a point to improve from.

“[Next season,] we have a large returning squad & we just need to come together, [and] stay locked in. Play defense, rebound, and fast break which will allow our offense to flow,” Chambers said. “Always play with a positive attitude and confidence and play for each other.”

Despite the loss, Creek players viewed the loss as a window of opportunity to improve in the future, by practicing more, coming up with new game plans, and bonding as a team. 

“It’s heartbreaking because we had a shot, [but] we weren’t able to execute our game plan,” Chambers said. “It should be an experience that will make us hungry and get us better in the future.”

Additional contributions by Marie Webster