5 Things to Know About Nighthawk Basketball Before the Elite Eight

Both the boys and girls Nighthawk basketball teams cruised into the quarterfinals of the 5A state tournament with double digit wins at home and are headed to the Denver Coliseum for games on Friday. To prepare for these big games, we can review how the program got to where it is and what to expect in these coming games.

1. This is new territory for the school:

Neither of the basketball programs at our school have ever been anywhere near where they are today. Both teams are competing in the 5a playoff bracket for only the second time and both teams were eliminated in the first round last year. To make such a jump in a one year span is both unexpected and incredible. The programs are both reaching new heights and will likely only continue to improve as the school gets bigger.

2. Both teams are rolling:

I covered the win streak the boys team was on last month and since then the team still has not lost. In fact, the boys have not lost a game in 2024 with their last loss coming on December 15 against Mullen. The Nighthawks have been handling their business all year long and look to continue that this weekend. As for the girls, even though they don’t have the same winning streak as the boys, they have won their last four with three of the four being by 25+. Both teams will come into their games this weekend with a lot of momentum.

3. Defense + Forcing Turnovers:

One big reason both teams are here is because of the havoc they wreak defensively. Both teams have players average 4+ steals a game and on state leaderboards. In addition, both teams have held all their opponents in the tournament to under 50 points. This defense often leads to offense and is a huge part of why these teams have so much success.

4. Well-Balanced Attack:

Both of these teams have multiple players that can take over any game and this is a key part of their success. The girls team has three players all averaging between 10 and 12 points. This is huge because it means they have several solid offensive threats without one player trying to win the game for the team and the balanced scoring shows how everyone makes their impact felt. The boys team has several players that can be electric at any given time and bring the whole team up with them. No one player has to carry the load constantly and anyone can give you a boost at any time.

5. Tough Opponents:

In a tournament that started with 32 teams, there are now 8. This obviously means the teams left are the best of the best. The boys team will face the 8 seeded Mead who have several impressive wins this season. They beat the second best team in the bracket (Vista PEAK) and took the third seed (Windsor) into overtime. They also lost to Lewis-Palmer (the 6 seed) by just three points. These three games show the team may be better than their record and are very capable. It has been smooth sailing for the boys teams all tournament but now they will face the best team yet. As for the girls team, they play a Windsor team that played in a slightly higher division in the regular season yet still finished 11-3. Because they came into the tournament as the four seed instead of the one seed, they now have to face the five seed which should make for a great matchup.