D’Evelyn flies to Class 4 Final Four thanks to Peyton Marvel’s 36-point day

Brihanna Crittendon might be Colorado’s newest basketball superhero, but D’Evelyn is headed to the Class 4A Final Four thanks to its very own Captain Marvel.

As in, junior Peyton Marvel, who dropped a game-high 36 points and 14 rebounds on seventh-seeded Riverdale Ridge to help the No. 2 seed advance out of the Great 8 early Friday morning at the Denver Coliseum

“I think sometimes, when you hear about — I mean, (Crittendon) is a great player, no doubt,” said Jaguars coach Chris Olson, whose squad improved to 26-0 on the season. “But when you hear about it all the time … that’s why I’m so proud of our whole team fighting and fronting and doubling and making it just tough.”

Through the morning tilt, D’Evelyn threw the kitchen sink at Crittendon, the 6-foot-2 freshman who’s one of ESPN and HoopGurlz’ top 25 national prospects for the Class of 2026. The Jaguars bracketed Crittendon in the post Crittendon — early in the second half with senior forward Gina Gersabeck fronting her — and sagged off at times whenever she set up outside, daring other Ravens players to beat them from outside.

It worked like a charm.

Riverdale Ridge connected on just four of its 24 3-point attempts, while Crittendon was just 1 for 5 during a 28-point performance.

“I mean, she drives, (so) we just gave her space, didn’t let her shoot a lot outside,” D’Evelyn wing Macy Sheer explained. “So, fronting and double-teaming, yeah.

“I mean, we don’t really want to talk about her, either. But we knew if we just shut her down — that was our main focus.”

Marvel, meanwhile, collected three steals on the day and helped to turn 13 Ravens turnovers into easy buckets or quick fouls.