COLORADO SPRINGS — Cora Schissler spent much of her childhood watching Mom from the sidelines.
In the Class 3A state girls basketball championship at a sparsely filled Broadmoor World Arena on Saturday, the Platte Valley junior guard gave Tonya Schissler the one thing missing from her coaching resume: a state title.
The Broncos team captain scored eight of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter, including the team’s final three field goals, as third-seeded Platte Valley knocked off fourth-seeded Lutheran 51-44 for its first state championship in 17 years.
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Platte Valley Broncos Cora Schissler (2) dribbles past Lutheran Lions Joclyn Bassett (22) in the first half of the Colorado State 3A championship game at Broadmoor World Arena March 20, 2021.“It means a lot,” Cora said amid a postgame celebration outside the arena. “She’s put in so much work for the team and for me individually … so that’s like all her work had paid off.”
Especially all those hours she spent in empty gyms working with her daughters, Cora and sophomore guard Andi (eight points).
Cora put the Broncos ahead 39-36 on a pick-and-pop 3-pointer with 5:15 to go, then kept them there with a pair of scoring drives down the stretch — the last a spinning scoop shot with 1:08 left for a 45-42 edge.
Raelyn Kelly scored on the other end off a post-up to draw within one with 55 seconds left, but the Lions didn’t score again as Plate Valley knocked down 6-of-8 free throws to seal the deal.
“It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come,” said junior guard Brooke Bunting, who hit 4-of-6 from the charity stripe in the final minute. “It still doesn’t feel real.”
Indeed, Platte Valley (16-1) had not been to a state title game since last winning one in 2004.
But behind two pairs of sisters — Brooke (12 points, four rebounds) and Bree Bunting (10 points, five rebounds) also started Saturday — the Broncos rode a stingy defensive effort to the school’s fourth girls basketball crown and first in Tonya Schissler’s six years as varsity head coach.
“We all have worked together for it and it’s just super rewarding,” said Cora, who was 5-of-12 from the field with six rebounds and two assists. “Brooke and Bree, they’ve grown up with us and we’ve played club with everybody but the seniors since fourth grade. And Brooke and Bree were always at our house growing up, so it’s really a family thing (with the team).”
Platte Valley’s defense suffocated the Lions in the first half, forcing them into 24.0% shooting (6-of-25) from the floor. The Lions didn’t get their first basket until five minutes into the game — a Stephanie Schultz 3-pointer that sparked an 8-0 run — and the Broncos led 22-19 at the break.
Schultz finished with a team-high 13 points, while Kelly added 11, including a 3-pointer to close out the third quarter that gave Lutheran a 34-32 lead going into the final eight minutes. The Lions went cold again after that, however, with their next basket not coming until midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lions (15-2) ended up shooting 15-of-44 from the field (34.1%), but it was their 10 turnovers and a couple of costly defensive miscues that head coach Mark Duitsman lamented after the game.
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Platte Valley Broncos Bree Bunting (31) passes the ball under pressure from Lutheran Lions Joclyn Bassett (22), left, Lutheran Lions Joclyn Bassett (22), second from left, and Lutheran Lions Stephanie Schultz (13), right, in the first half of the Colorado State 3A championship game at Broadmoor World Arena March 20, 2021.“They played a great game defensively, but I think we’re going to walk away feeling we had missed opportunities as well,” said Duitsman, who was going for his third state title at Lutheran.
“That’s a very dynamic offensive team, and I thought we played them as well as we could have, just there was just a few miscommunications. … Give Platte Valley credit, that’s a great team.”
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