DENVER — Holy Family coach Ron Rossi said junior Julia Hodell is the best defensive player he’s ever had in his two decades at the head of the girls basketball program.
He reaffirmed that it wasn’t just the aftershocks of Hodell’s defensive masterpiece in the Class 4A quarterfinals Friday night. Though, that no doubt added to it.
The harassing defensive effort that’d piloted Holy Family all season long translated well to the surroundings of the Denver Coliseum, and led by Hodell, the top-seeded Tigers grounded No. 8 Delta, 55-31, advancing to their fourth state semifinal in five years.
“Julia is the big push of energy that gets us going,” senior Fiona Snashall said afterward. “If there is anyone we’re concerned about, we immediately put Julia on them and don’t have to worry about them for the rest of the game. She’s taken players that are averaging 20 points per game to like four, or none.”
She grinned: “She’s the best defensive player in the state in my personal opinion.”
Played every bit like it on this night.
Hodell led a group that crashed passing lanes, forced wild shots and turned a tight game into a runaway as part of a 19-8 third quarter.
This Delta turned into a transport of turnovers, committing 31. The Panthers finished just 26% from the field and went just 2 of 12 from deep.
“With a close game at halftime, the third quarter is the deciding factor whether a team can get up or not, and I feel like our team always has that passion in the third quarter,” Hodell said. “I think that really showed on the press. We had a lot of back-to-back steals. I think that gave us momentum to keep playing, keep scoring and keep playing good defense.”
Essynce Contreraz led the Tigers in points for a second straight time since returning from a concussion, finishing with 11. Five of those points came in the third, which saw a four-point lead expand to as many as 19. She also had five steals.
Hodell added eight points and six steals, and Snashall had four points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and seven steals.
Holy Family, which led by as many as 25 in the fourth, will face No. 4 Lutheran in the state semifinals at the Denver Coliseum Thursday at 2:15 p.m.
The Lions beat them back on Jan. 30, 43-31. In it, the Tigers had just 10 points in the second half.
“We got to get payback,” Rossi said. “We played our worst game of the year playing against them. They’re a good club.”
Before the girls game, the Holy Family boys beat Colorado Academy behind a second half surge of its own, 60-43. The boys will face the winner of No. 4 Eagles Ridge Academy/No. 12 Pueblo Central Thursday at 12:45 p.m.
