Defense was the name of Mountain Vista’s game this season.

Mountain Vista High School girls hoops wrapped up its season Feb. 25 with an appearance in the second round of the Class 5A state playoffs. The Golden Eagles entered the postseason with a 12-11 overall record, and with its Continental League schedule, they nabbed the No. 7 seed in the Kaye Garms Region of the tournament.

Vista played host to its first-round match-up against No. 10 Pine Creek and sent Creek back to Colorado Springs for the season on a 36-33 final Feb. 22 in Highlands Ranch.

Senior Jennifer Wahleithner finished with 11 points in the first-round contest, including one drop from beyond the arc. She also led in rebounds and had nine blocks over Pine Creek.

“Our defense is what enabled us to be very competitive in the best conference in the state,”Vista coach Marty Fletcher said. “The defense was led by Jennifer Whaleithner, a senior, who led the state with 91 blocks. and Megan Whestone who led us along with Jennifer in rebounding with 6.6 rebounds per game.”

Against Creek, Whestone had two blocks and seven rebounds.

Fletcher said, although some teams walk into the playoffs to host the first round with three losses or less, playing in the Continental League is a leg up in the playoff seeding process.

“I believe the committee does an outstanding job,” Fletcher said. “The committee members get out and see games the entire season, so they not only use the data but they use the eye test as well.”

The Golden Eagles’ playoffs hopes ended in the next round against No. 2-seeded Arapahoe. The host Warriors beat Vista Feb. 25 at Arapahoe High School in Centennial 54-25.

Whaleithner put up another 11 points against the Warriors and had three buckets from outside. She also had four blocks and six rebounds. Whestone also rebounded six.