The battle heats up as the area’s Class 2A high schools completed the second week of San Juan League basketball competition.

Two teams, the Dolores County boys and Dolores girls, enhanced their statures as pace setters when they preserved unbeaten records with wins over SJL rivals.

The Dove Creek boys went back-to-back with a 63-46 bashing of Dolores Friday (Jan 21) at Memorial Hall and delivered a 53-45 defeat to Nucla Saturday. The wins clearly placed the red hot Bulldogs at the top of the boys San Juan League heap at 10-0 overall and 3-0 in league play.

It was the second time this season the Bulldogs emerged on top over Nucla. During the Wolf Creek Classic Basketball Tournament in December at Pagosa Springs, Dove Creek took a 68-59 win. Although the win did not count toward league standings, if needed it could be used as a tie breaker for District seeding later on.

The weekend proved to be no exception for the Dolores girls, who continue to rule the roost in the ladies circuit. Friday the Bears came, saw and conquered at Dove Creek to the tune of a 56-27 romp. Saturday they upped their victory string to 11-0 (3-0 league) when they outgunned Telluride 68-52.

Meanwhile, the Mancos and Dolores boys are looking for their first San Juan League wins. The pickings were scant during a long weekend for both teams.

The Blue Jay boys fell 57-25 to Nucla Friday at the Mancos Performance Center and then came home Saturday empty handed after a 57-34 loss at Norwood. Going into week three of the SJL fray, the Blue Jays stand at 3-9, 0-3 league.

Ditto for the Bears, whose battering at the hands of Dove Creek on Friday was followed by a 57-47 loss to Norwood Saturday.

Dolores girls aside, a battle royale is developing as the season progresses.

The Blue Jay girls very much remained in contention for the San Juan League crown after a split. Friday at the Performance Center, Mancos was a 47-43 winner over Nucla, but Saturday the Blue Jays were surprised 38-35 by Norwood. Mancos is at .500, at 6-6 overall, but has posted a 2-1 league record.

And the Dove Creek girls continue to take their knocks as they learn their lessons in the San Juan League School of basketball. After falling to Dolores Friday at home, the girls Bulldogs were outdistanced Saturday at Nucla. score and stats not available at press time.

The Bulldog boys’ 28-22 half-time lead over Dolores may have looked slim Friday, but they hit overdrive in the second semester and pulled away.

"Dove Creek caught fire under the basket and seemed to hit everything," Dolores coach Todd Wynne said. "We missed our shots and Dove Creek converted."

For the Bears, the basket must have seemed to evaporate into thin air. Meanwhile, Dove Creek’s basket diameter seemed to expand by five feet or so. In the third quarter, the Bulldogs hit for 23 points while Dolores was good for a solitary field goal. After three quarters, the Bulldogs led 51-24.

Dolores shook off the doldrums in the final eight minutes and out scored the Dogs, but the sprint proved to be too little too late.

The Bulldogs’ Justin Wyatt led all scorers with 16 points. Team mates Keith Pierce and Terence Gardner chipped in 14 and 12. Justin Schmitt and Cullen Zion finished up with 12 and 11 points for Dolores.

Dove Creek’s domination continued as the Bulldogs traveled to Nucla, but the game was not a done deal until late. Nucla fought back from a 9-6 first-quarter deficit and took a 25-19 lead into the locker room at half-time. The Bulldogs were within easy striking distance after three quarters after a rally which narrowed the score down to 39-38. In the final period, the Dogs pulled ahead, twice fighting off rallies by the Mustangs.

The Mancos boys had adversity to contend with in addition to a tough weekend schedule. With a starter out because of academic ineligibility. Coach Gary Hill’s lineup reshuffle continued.

It looked pretty good for Mancos at the outset of its game against Nucla Friday. The Blue Jays exited the first quarter with a 13-10 advantage. But Mancos imploded thereafter, putting up just 12 points for the reminder of the game.

"I’m not disappointed that we didn’t win," Hill remarked. "Our kids stuck in there. Everyone played a hard game. We just couldn’t score."

Nucla pulled even with 4:52 left in the second period when a lay-up by A.J. Weimer made the score 16-16. With back-to-back Nucla baskets, the rout was on. A free throw by Mancos’ Ray Thomas at the 3:21 mark were the final Blue Jay scores for the half, and they trailed 28-17 at the half.

A Gary Baker basket with 7:13 left in the third quarter was the only Mancos score in almost five minutes of play. When Ryan Huseby notched a basket for the Jays with 2:45 left, the Jays had fallen back 37-21.

Nucla had a nine-point run in the fourth stanza and took a 49-22 lead. The Blue Jays’ first score of the period came on a bucket by Kyle Yeomans which made the score 49-24. After the Mustangs went five for six at the free throw line, Clint Hill hit one for two for the final Mancos tally.

Three Nucla players hit in double figures with Chris Been scoring 18, Chris Robuck 13 and Brice Lewis 10. Huseby and Baker led the Blue Jays with 6 apiece.

Despite a second-half stand against Norwood Saturday, the Blue Jays fell far short of overcoming a 34-11 first-half deficit. It was a case of the Jays not being able to buy a basket as they went a paltry 20 percent from the field in shooting.

Mancos went toe-to-toe with the Mavericks in the second half, with a matching 7 points in the third period and 16 in the fourth.

"You can’t spot them 23 points at half time and expect to come back," Hill said.

Baker led the Mancos effort with 16 points.

Intensity and some hot free throw shooting were the tickets to ride as the Mancos girls notched a league win over visiting Nucla Friday. It was a game which went pretty well according to the plan of Blue Jay coach Kevin Dimmick.

"We wanted to penetrate when we had the gaps," Dimmick said. "It was a matter of staying calm, executing and letting the things we do in practice work."

A Mancos 13-10 turned into a 27-20 deficit in at half-time, but fouls came to rest on Nucla’s shoulders in the second half of play. The Mustangs’ mainstay, Robin Williams fouled out early in the third stanza, and Mancos got back in the game Kristin Paxton sank two free throws with 2:50 left in the quarter to tie the score at 31. A bucket by Kerri Morgan put the Jays ahead. Nucla fought back to take a 37-33 lead into the fourth quarter.

Free throws made the difference. In the fourth period, Mancos hit a blazing 10 for 15 at the charity stripe, taking the lead over for good with a little over minute to play. A mixture of free throws and field goals made for a six point run in the final minutes and a 47-43 win.

The Jays seemed to be suffering an emotional hangover on Friday, though when they were surprised by Norwood 38-35. It was a hare and tortoise affair in which the Jays played hare.

Mancos trailed 14-4 after a quarter and 21-9 at half-time. But they made a run in the third quarter, cutting the Norwood lead to 27-16. The Blue Jays got to within a basket point in the final minute, but fell short on a few strategic Norwood free throws.