DENVER – Kinley Asp won’t spend the final week of the season preparing for a basketball game. That’s a first for the Air Academy senior.

It’s one of many “firsts” for Asp this year, but the Kadets’ 61-53 loss to No. 3 seed Montrose at Denver Coliseum on Saturday in the 5A Great 8 was the final high school game in an illustrious career.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself on Monday,” Asp said as she chuckled. “It’s different, but I’m grateful we made it to the Coliseum. The girls worked as hard as they could and tried their best for me and I’m thankful for that. It’s a little bit of a bummer not to make it all the way through to the final game.”

Asp, who won a pair of titles with Colorado Springs Christian as a freshman and sophomore in 2023 and 2024, advanced to the title game in her first season with the Kadets where they finished as runners-up in 2025.

The Boston College-bound star amassed a 78-3 record prior to this season and was 35-0 at home in three years. The Kadets (21-5) dropped a pair of home games this year – which is solid by most teams’ standards – but coach Phil Roiko said they shook off all negatives and losses through Asp’s leadership.

“They’re led by a super senior who is a tremendous leader,” Roiko said. “We’re going to miss her and not just because of what she brings on the floor, but because of all the stuff she does off the floor. The leadership stuff, the team bonding stuff, the pep talks, the coaching piece. She’s the real deal and it’s a coach’s dream to have a player like that.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these girls and how they played this season. They’re very close. They all left it out on the floor.”

Asp scored a game-high 36 points, her seventh time this season with 30 or more, but she started the game frigid from the field. Grace Mooney’s 3-pointer with 3:25 on the clock in the first kept the Red Hawks (26-0) in reach at 6-3, but Asp’s first make, a jumper with 2:05 left, ended an 0-for-6 shooting slump.

The Kadets, the No. 6 seed, found their stroke in the second as Katelyn Markley scored all five of her points in the period, Mooney hit a free throw and Asp added eight to knot the game at 22-all at the break. Montrose built a 40-36 lead after three and late in the fourth with 2:39 left in the game, the Kadets began playing hack-a-Red Hawk.

“Eventually, you’re going to want to put them on the line and that’s what we did,” Roiko said. “I’m not sure what they shot. I know (Maggie Legg) was incredible from the line, but the other girls missed for the most part. It worked, except (with Legg.)”

Roiko also credited Mayce Oberg, who had five 3-pointers this season for the Red Hawks but finished 3 of 3 shooting from beyond the arc against the Kadets, including one in the fourth to give Montrose its largest lead of the game at 47-38.

“They’re a well-coached team and that’s what seniors do,” Roiko said. “I think some people sometimes don’t respect teams from that side of the Western Slope because they say they didn’t have that hard of a schedule. When you’re undefeated, you’ve done something right.”

Addison Reutter hit a pair of free throws to trim the lead to 53-50 with 1:04 left in the game, but the Kadets never got closer than three and Montrose outscored Air Academy 8-4 to close the game.

Last year, the Kadets’ only loss came in the title game to Mullen. Players and coaches were understandably disappointed as they hoped to bring the golden trophy home. This year didn’t bear the same pressure, but Asp called the loss to Montrose “a tough one.”

However, Asp added that she’s grateful for the season and how the Kadets scrapped throughout the year.

“I’m a competitor, so I hate to lose and when I’m on the floor, I want the best for my team,” Asp said. “For us to lose, especially my senior year, it’s a little different. Stepping on the Coliseum floor for the last time is a little weird. We were gunning for a championship just like everyone else, but we just couldn’t come out with one.”