Panthers fall to hot shooting Moab; DHS wins

Panthers fall to hot shooting Moab; DHS wins

Dec. 23, 2000

STAFF REPORT

MOAB, Utah — When a team shoots the lights out of the basketball, there is not a lot an opposing team can do. Even with various defensive adjustments, when a team has a hot hand there is nothing to do but watch.

"They were hotter than heck," MCHS head boys basketball coach Wade Mortensen said. "They couldn’t miss. They were 6-of-9 from the three-point line, 18-30 for two-pointers, and 18-23 from the free throw line."

Still with about four minutes to play, the Panthers were still in the game trailing only by 7 points. But they could not overcome the firepower that particular night and lost 72-61 to Grand County High School Thursday night, Dec. 21.

‘We shot aweful (4-23 from three-point land, 17-33 for two-pointers, and 15-30 from the charity stripe). But the kids played their hearts out. They never gave up and gave everything they had. We only had five turnovers and we outrebounded them 36-21. As a coach I could not ask anything more of them," he added.

The game was close with Cortez trailing 17-15 at the end of the first quarter. The Red Devils led 37-25 at the half. Grand County outscored Cortez 13-9 in the third but Cortez outpointed GCHS 25-22 in the fourth.

Chris Garland was inside and outside scoring. He finished with 20 points. Layne Frazier added 12, and Marcus Mortensen 11. James Bane definitely had the hot hand for the Red Devils as a pumped in a game-high 30. Matt French knocked down 20 and Dusty Steele 10.

The Panther boys, 4-3 overall for the 2000 portion of the schedule, will take a break for the holidays and will not play again they visit Aztec, N.M., Jan. 6.

"I feel good about our progress," Mortensen said. "I know there are things we still need to work at. I know we will still get better which is good. I feel good about the things we are doing offensively. I feel our young kids have really matured, which is good because the need to with the Southwest League play ahead."

The Panther girls visited Shiprock, N.M., Friday night (after deadline), Dec. 22. They will next host Farmington High Jan. 6.

The Dolores girls put on a strong second-half performance at Bayfield Thursday night to beat the Wolverines 58-38. The Bears improved to a perfect 6-0 going into the holidays.

Although Bayfield led 30-27 at the intermission, the Bears’ full-court press was just too good in the second half. Dolores kept the Wolverines scoreless through the first five minutes of the third quarter and held Bayfield to only 5 points for the period. They held Bayfield to only 6 in the fourth.

The press forced many turnovers, most of them coming in the second half. Dolores then converted those into points.

Dolores had three girls in double figures, including Jennifer Trevillian and Amanda Cross with 13 apiece and Tracy Everett with 10.

Becky Evers was Bayfield’s top scorer with 10 points. Four other Wolverines — each contributed 6.

The Bears will not play again they visit Ignacio on Jan. 9.

Dolores County girls played last weekend in the Piedra Vista Tournament in Farmington. They fell to host PVHS 63-44 and they lost to Cuba, N.M., JVs 66-48 in the consolation game. Rachel Hightower was the leading scorer for DCHS both nights. She scored a game-high 25 points against Cuba. DCHS will play Ignacio Jan. 6.

Mancos High School boys and girls played Friday night in the second game of the seventh annual Blue Jay Classic in the Mancos Performance Center. The tournament continues today, Dec. 23. Durango JV and Kirtland-Central JV meet in a girls’ game at 2 p.m.; MCHS JVs take on Ignacio at 3:45 in a boys’ contest; Mancos girls host Farmington High JVs at 5:30; and Mancos boys host FHS JVs at 7:15. The team with the best overall record wins. Ties are broken by the best free throw percentage. MHS won both the boys and girls divisions last year.