Ridgeline (25-0) had played for titles in 2022, losing in double overtime, and in 2019 against a loaded Cedar team. Saturday it was the Riverhawks who were the heavy favorites. That didn’t seem to bother them one bit.

“We were a super young team last year with no seniors, but they battled and played a great game,” Ridgeline head coach Ainsli Jenks said. “They wanted to go and take care of business this year. They put in lots of hours. … We never actually talked about being undefeated. We just broke it up into preseason, region and then here (at state). We just went for it. It doesn’t happen very often. We are super proud of these young ladies.”

Jenks had come to the game in bright green paints to help lighten the mood. It certainly worked.

“Oh dear,” said Skinner, when asked about the pants. “She brought those out just for this game. I guess it worked.”

“I got them on Amazon,” said Jenks, when asked about the pants. “I will never wear them again. They were so hot. … It’s something fun and different. I like to embarrass the girls a little bit.”

Sky View (17-7) fought to the end, but found itself in a deep hole early. The Bobcats did play the Riverhawks much closer in the second half.

“Give credit to Ridgeline; they are a fabulous team and well coached,” SV head coach Vanessa Hall said. “They are just a tough team. All of their players are just so balanced. I thought our girls fought hard and to the very end, which I loved.

“I’m proud of my girls; we made it here. If you would have told me four months ago we would lose one of our main contributors and still make it to the championship game, I would take it. … It’s been a fun week. I will remember the game last night (semifinal) for a long time. These girls just kept fighting.”

Ridgeline outscored Sky View in each of the first three quarters and the two were even in the fourth.

“I just knew I had to play my best for the best chance for my team to win,” said an emotional Elise Livingston, who finished with 12 points and had big games all three days at state. “Everybody just played really well. We got open shots for everyone. It worked out at the right time. … We just really wanted this bad.”

It was a team effort Jenks stressed, naming all of her players following the game and cutting down the nets. She went through her entire roster.

“We couldn’t worry about being a target,” Jenks said. “We had to go at people and play our best. We really focused on setting the tone.”

Skinner and Livingston were the lone players to reach double figures, but Macie Brown added eight points and grabbed a game-best eight rebounds. Hallee Smith and Brinley Wiese each added seven points. Smith also had three assists and three steals.

“We had a number of girls play well,” Jenks said. “I’m super proud of Elise, she was super focused and dialed in. All of the girls played great and Emilee would be the first to say she can’t do it by herself.”

Skinner went over 1,000 points for her career Saturday.

Ridgeline has just two seniors in Nia Damuni and Mikell Parry, who come off the bench. Jenks praised each for their leadership, as well as junior Sydnee Zollinger.

“It’s easy to be a leader when the girls are so good to get along with and they work hard too,” said Damuni, who also won a state volleyball title this season. “I didn’t play last year, but they were great to me. … It was awesome playing in the Spectrum with lots of fans.”

Unlike the Riverhawks, the Bobcats have five seniors who were all able to start Saturday. One of those seniors was Hannah Radford, who led her team once again with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals. Fellow senior Jocee Chadwick chipped in eight points and grabbed four rebounds.

“She (Radford) has played well,” Hall said. “It’s good when your best players can play their best. Teams were keying on her, but for her to grind it out, shows how tough of a player she is.”

The game started off with a great sign of sportsmanship. Sky View senior Melanie Hiatt, who has been an all-state athlete but has missed the last month of the season with a knee injury, started and scored the game’s first points. It was fitting that Radford passed the ball to Hiatt for the bucket.

After Hiatt’s basket, Ridgeline scored a layup without any defensive presence by the Bobcats. Then Hiatt, a three-year starter and all-state player, checked out of the game with her crutch.

Both coaches got emotional when asked about the start to the game.

“Mel went out (injured) in a game against us and obviously our hearts went out to her,” Jenks said. “I know Mel doesn’t get another opportunity to play in a state basketball game. At dinner last night, the girls brought it up. Mel should get those points and get to experience a little bit of that state game. Vanessa and I visited about it. I thought it was super special.”

“It’s something we tried to work out on Senior Night, but it didn’t work out,” Hall said. “Coach Jenks reached out to me. Our boys had done it before. We worked out the logistics and checked with the state. Mel has meant a lot to our program. This year has been really tough, so for her to get back on the court with that group of five seniors and have that moment was really, really special.”

Sky View would go more than seven-and-a-half minutes between field goals, and Ridgeline would reel off 12 unanswered points in the opening quarter. Livingston would drill two 3-pointers during the surge.

“We had a few nerves and jitters before the game, but we were also calm and confident,” Livingston said. “We were ready. … We are probably the most competitive people you will find. No matter what kind of drill, we want to win it. That helps us a lot.”

The Riverhawks took a 17-7 lead into the second quarter and never looked back.

Ridgeline started the second quarter with seven unanswered points. Then Skinner heated up with nine straight points for her team, and the “Up by 20” chant started up from the Riverhawk students.

Skinner had 11 points in the second quarter as Ridgeline took a 38-17 lead into the break.

The Riverhawks built their largest lead of the game with 2:05 to play in the third, 52-23. Ridgeline used a 12-0 run as Smith sparked it with a 3-pointer. Skinner had six points during the surge, while Damuni and Wiese also scored.

“I’ve said it a million times, these girls are so competitive,” Jenks said. “They love to play hard. The energy of Hallee Smith helps the rest of the team.”

Radford scored the final five points of the third, but Ridgeline still took a 56-30 lead into the final quarter.

“We got ourselves in a hole, but played better in that second half,” Hall said. “Ridgeline is a tough team.”

The teams played the fourth even and both went deep on their benches in the later minutes.

“It was a lot of fun to see all your teammates that work so hard in practice to help us get better get in (the game),” Livingston said. “It means a lot to see them all in there.”

“Obviously last year I fouled out, but this year was better (to be sitting on the bench at the end) for sure,” Skinner said. “It’s fun on the bench because you get to cheer on your teammates.”

Sky View was pursuing its fourth state title, having won in 2021, 2015 and 2008. But the Riverhawks had other plans.

“We knew Sky View was good having played them a few times during the season,” Skinner said. “It’s hard to beat a team three times. We just wanted it and everyone went out and played their best. … We have a lot of respect for them (Bobcats).”

With a starting lineup of underclassmen, Ridgeline will certainly be a factor next year.

“Better watch out next year too,” Skinner said.