The Cortez Roundball team are back after a successful tournament run at the annual Basketball Congress International National Tournament in the Colorado Springs area.

This marks the third straight appearance of the local team. Two years ago, Cortez won 4 and lost 2 in the Under 14 age division (Little Swishers) in the National BCI Tournament in Dallas. Last year they were 2-4 in the same division at Colorado Springs. And this year’s team moved up to the U-15 bracket and won three and lost three against teams from all over the nation.

"Our boys represented us well," coach Bob Archibeque remarked after he and his team returned from the week-long tournament held at Lewis-Palmer High School and at the United States Air Force Academy. "I thought they did very well considering they were playing many all-star teams coming from a large number of schools. We held our own.

"The kids did real, real well. They had a chance to see some very, very good teams from all over the nation play. The experience they got from going to the tournament can’t be measured."

In the opener, Cortez took on the Tulsa Jammers. The Jammers won the national title in that age bracket a year ago. Cortez lost 82-62.

"Here these guys were national champs a year ago and we were leading at the half by a point. We kept it close for a while but the pressure got to us in the end. It was a good game but it was a tough team to open against," Archibeque said.

Cortez Roundballers took on the New Mexico State champions, a team from Albuquerque coached by former University of New Mexico star Petie Gibson. Cortez defeated New Mexico Heat by one, 63-62.

The local five took on a team out of Spokane, Wash. Archibeque said that team was very big and made the final four (out of 46 teams) when the local team headed home.

"We played well but their size really helped them," he said. Spokane won 72-60.

Cortez then took on an all-star from southern Denver area called the Colorado Select. Cortez lost 68-64. Cortez was ahead all the way until the last four minutes of the game. Archibeque said it was one of those games in which any team could have won.

"The Denver coach was very impressed with our kids," he reported. "He said that he couldn’t believe all our kids came from only one school. He said that good things are going to happen at Montezuma-Cortez High School (regarding boys basketball)."

Cortez finished up on a high strong note, according to Archibeque.

The locals took on a team from Dallas-Fort Worth area. Cortez won 90-70. Archibeque recalled that every member of the team shot the ball very well in that game. He said three or four had 20 or more points apiece.

The final game was against the Arkansas State champs, a team from northern Arkansas called the Diamonds. Cortez won 94-74.

"The last two games we were shooting the ball very well," he said.

The Cortez team qualified for the elite tourney by finishing third out of 16 teams at the Southwest BCI Tournament which was held a few weeks ago in Albuquerque. Cortez won its pool by beating the eventual tourney winner New Mexico Heat from Albuquerque. They lost to them in bracket tourney play and then they worked back through and placed third, beating a team from Santa Fe.

During the regular season, the local team won the Montrose Tournament, the Cortez Tournament, and the Atkins Tournament (in Grand Junction) during the Amateur Athletic Union regular season. They then competed in the Southwest Regional BCI Tournament.

Members of the team were Mike Rivas, James Durnin, Kyle Archibeque, Jeff Anderson, Marcus Mortensen, Devin Perkins, Kyle Chandler, and Cody Dinae.

Rivas, Archibeque, and Mortensen played with the MCHS varsity a year ago as freshmen. Mortensen started while Rivas and Archibeque came off the bench. For the Cortez Roundball team, Rivas played forward, Archibeque post and Mortensen point guard. Durnin played strong forward, Anderson utility and Perkins played off-guard and some point. Chandler played positions one, two or three. Dinae played strong forward.