Falcons girls hoops is hunting for another Continental League title, but it’s not in the bag yet.

Highlands Ranch High School girls basketball advanced to a 5-0 after playing host to Rock Canyon Jan. 28 at the school in Highlands Ranch. With the 71-50 final, the Falcons remained at the top of the league with cross-town rival ThunderRidge, also undefeated at that time.

However, with games against Regis and Chaparral on the horizon, both of which were 4-1 at the time, the league’s bragging rights are still up in the air.

Last season, Highlands Ranch finished the season with a spot in the Great 8 portion of the Class 5A state championship playoffs. There, the Falcons were sent home by the eventual champions from Denver East.

This season, as usual, Ranch has returned to the court with a solid lineup of seniors including Katelyn McDaniel, Lindsay Mallon and Liza Heap, all of which have contributed heavily on the scoreboard, as well as junior Michaela Neuhaus.

McDaniel presently leads the team in scoring, well on her way to breaking 300 in the next couple games. She averages almost 20 points per game. Neuhaus is the team’s dead-eye from beyond the arc. She has drilled 44 total shots from the outside and averages almost 14 points per game.

Mallon and Heap have also scored in triple digits thus far in the season and are tough to defend.

Also making things tough for opponents has been junior Jayln Yates and senior Breann Baker. Both have scored more than 60 on the season, and Baker is also a threat from the outside.

For the Falcons, a high point total and keeping opponents quiet on the boards has been the theme through their first five Continental games. Rock Canyon’s 50 points was the most scored against Ranch. Heritage came up with 48, but the most any opponent has come up with besides those two teams has been 25. Ranch has scored 56 points or better in every league game so far.

Heritage gave the Falcons their closest run yet. McDaniel scored 23 points over the Eagles, and Neuhaus had 13 in what finished as an 8-point victory.

Against Lexi Thorderson and her smart teammates from Rock Canyon, McDaniel put up 24 points, and Neuhaus had 17 including three drops from outside.

The Falcons have a chance to better their attempt at another league title when they face the Raiders of Regis Feb. 5 in Aurora, but the championship may come down to Ranch’s matchup against ThunderRidge on Feb. 11 at home and against Chaparral Feb. 15 in Parker.