DENVER -- Holy Family's girls basketball team didn't score a point in the first quarter against Lutheran during the state 4A girls semifinals March 9."

"We just set a record," HFHS coach Ron Rossi said. "We scored zero points in the first quarter and won the game. How d oes that happen? It shows  how resilient my club is.. That was the thing I thought was really cool about our team. They didn't give up."

The Tigers managed to score 14 points to the Lions' five in the fourth quarter and wound up with a 31-20 win.

The win sets up a showdown between the defending state champs and the NBo. 2-seeded D'Evelyn Jaguars for the crown. Tip time is at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 11.

Fiona Snahsall led the Tigers with 10 poinbts. Essynce Contreraz scored eight, including four key free throws down the stretch. She also forced a pair of key turnovers to help keep the Lions at bay.

"We worked on defense, and it showed on defense," Contreraz said. "We have one more game ahead, and we'll see how it goes from there."

Raelyn Kelly led the Lions with 16 points.

Neither team shot the ball well in the first half. But the Tigers made two of every five field-goal attempts in the second half, and the Lions made about one in every six. LHS had trouble hanging onto the ball as well.  Lutheran committed 18 turnovers.

"We played them earlier in the season, and they playsed the same way," Contreraz said. "They played amazing defense. They played amazing offense. It just came down to defense. It showed how much we wanted this game."

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