GRAND JUNCTION — The basketball season is over for both the Montezuma-Cortez High School boys and girls. It ended for both of them in the first round of the District 7B Basketball Tournament Friday night, Feb. 25, at Mesa State College.

The boys lost a heartbreaker in overtime 60-58 to Palisade. The girls didn’t play well in the third quarter and they were overwhelmed by Central of Grand Junction 62-47.

They had a chance to win at the end of the game, but an errant pass ended it. Palisade scored 7 points and MCHS scored 5 — all free throws — in the overtime. The score was tied 53-all at the end of regulation.

The Panthers led Palisade 17-16 at the end of the first quarter but trailed 29-28 at the intermission. The Bulldogs outscored Cortez 14-11 in the third quarter but Cortez rallied back and outpointed the Bulldogs 14-10 in the fourth.

Eric White had a steady game, finishing with 22. Layne Frazier, only a sophomore, showed glimpses of good things to come as he popped in 11. Adam Williams chipped in 9. Ryan Hayden gunned in 20 and Josh Brown 10 for Palisade.

Cortez finished at 8-13 overall under head coach Wade Mortensen. But look out as the Panthers had a very young team and the future looks bright in the next few years.

The girls, who have played well all season, found trying to beat Central a second time during the season a tough task. Cortez beat Central at home but lost to the Warriors on the road.

The Warriors led 21-19 at the end of the first quarter. They had a very good second quarter as the Panthers tossed in 17 and Central was held to 12. Cortez led 36-33 at the half. But Cortez could only score four points in the third while Central gunned in 15. Central also outscored Cortez 14-7 in the fourth.

Leading by eight points midway through the first quarter, Central got in a shot-for-shot contest with Cortez, the Panthers getting at least four points from four different players in pulling to within two points at 21-19 by the end of the first.

The Warriors' lead again grew to eight before Cortez got 6 points from Lindsay Waggoner and four from Casey Bauer to overtake Central for a 36-33 halftime lead.

Central's 18 first-half turnovers contributed to its deficit while Cortez was unable to stretch its lead when it missed 7 of 15 free throws.

Waggoner's basket a half-minute into the second half gave the veteran Panthers their biggest lead at 38-33.

That's when Central's defense began to take its toll.

The young Warriors held the Panthers to just two free throws the rest of the quarter.

Meanwhile, Central forced seven turnovers and got scoring from five different players in forging a 48-40 advantage entering the fourth.

Another plus for the Warriors was getting Cortez starters Bauer and Holly Tanner in foul trouble in the third quarter, relegating both to the bench.

Phaedra Finnessey's steal and subsequent three-point play to open the fourth set the tone as the Warriors outscored the Panthers 14-7 in the final quarter.

Bauer and Waggoner scored 11 apiece while Annie Mortensen tossed in 9 and Tanner 7. The Warriors got balanced scoring as Lindsay Kane popped in 14, Bethany Wertz 12, and Mariah Neslanik 10.