This is a freelance for the The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction.
By LUKE LOFTUS Special to The Daily Sentinel
Mar 12, 2026 Updated Mar 12, 2026
The Plateau Valley Cowboys girls’ basketball team took the floor for their Great 8 matchup in Frederick, Colorado after seeing their boys fall in overtime.
The six seeded Cowboys sported a 20-5 overall record against the Sanford Mustangs who came in with a 24-1 record and the four seed in CHSAA 2A.
The contest was off to a hot start, Sanford getting shots to fall and the Cowboys getting to the free throw line, although being unable to convert early on those chances.
Sanford would take an early 7-1 lead but for it to be quickly matched with a run from Plateau Valley, ending the first quarter only up four, 11-7.
In the second quarter the Cowboys really locked up defensively, settling into a 2-3 zone and forcing the Mustangs to shoot over them, only allowing the Mustangs to score one point in the entire frame. The two teams would go into the locker room with the game tied at 12.
Then in the third quarter, the Samford Mustangs proved why they are so elite on defense, and the three pointers began to fall. They would open the third quarter with a 17-2 run making their lead 29-14 and forcing Plateau Valley head coach John Holmes, to call a timeout.
That run was insurmountable in the end, the Plateau Valley Cowboys would fall out of the state tournament losing this game, 35-24.
Junior Presley Hawkins accounted for 11 of the teams 24 points, making two from behind the arc and collecting seven rebounds. And junior Macy Bevan would also grab seven rebounds and have five points, three of them coming from the free throw stripe.
Plateau Valley head coach John Holmes after the game on his team, “Our girls worked their tails off, they defended a bigger and stronger team all night long, holding them to only 35 points”, Coach Holmes continues, “we just struggled against their defense, they’re probably the best half court defense in 2A girls in Sanford. They did a tremendous job bottling us up”
The Samford Mustangs held opponents to under 24 points in 16 of their 25 games this season. Including two opponents under 10 points.
Coach Holmes when asked if there was ever a specific moment during the season, “it’s hard to just pick one moment with these girls. They make me proud every single night with their efforts and hard work.”
The Cowboys move onto the consolation bracket and will face off against seven seed Heritage Christian, on March 13, slated for 11:45 AM at Moby Arena in Fort Collins.