Junior guard Mitchell Burt’s late 3-pointer in the fourth quarter sealed the Glenwood Springs Demons’ 53-49 win Friday night over the Berthoud Spartans on Day Two of the Longmont Tournament.
Burt’s 3-pointer helped the Demons get back into the win column one day after dropping a 54-49 decision to the No. 2 Longmont Trojans to open the tournament.
In the Day Two matchup, the two teams combined for 58 free throws, but it was Glenwood that came out on top, outscoring the Spartans by 11 in the second half, rallying from a 31-24 halftime deficit.
At the half, 21 of Berthoud’s 31 points came at the free throw line.
For Glenwood, senior guard Erwin Rodriguez led the Demons with 17 points off the bench, while senior guard Angel Garcia added 10 points. Seniors Luke Gair and Chano Gonzalez added 6 points each, while Burt’s 3 were arguably the biggest points of the game.
Glenwood (4-4) takes on Littleton Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Thomas Jefferson 45, Glenwood Springs 41, OT
One night after shooting just 18 percent from the floor in a loss to Longmont, the Glenwood Springs Demons girls basketball team bounced back in a big way Friday night, nearly upsetting Thomas Jefferson in a 45-41 defeat in overtime.
Free throws down the stretch hurt Glenwood in the upset bid as the Demons missed 10 free throws total in the loss. That didn’t discourage Glenwood head coach Rhonda Moser though as the Demons battled against a good Spartans team.
“Everyone played great tonight,” said Moser, who is down two key post players at the Longmont Tournament. “It was a nice bounce back for us after the night before. We played great team defense and everyone just really played well as a team.”
Glenwood (3-5) was led by senior guard Ximena Gutierrez’s 15 points, while senior guard Emily Worline added 13 points. Senior guard Logan Nieslanik added 4 points. The Demons take on Berthoud Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
Coal Ridge 48, Paonia 25
Sophomore center Taylor Wiescamp had a night to remember Friday night on the road at Paonia. The sophomore poured in a career-high 27 points for the Coal Ridge Titans, leading the New Castle program to a dominant 48-25 win over the Eagles.
Coal Ridge outscored Paonia 25-7 in the second half as Wiescamp 10 of her 27 points in the second half, pacing the Titans to the 23-point win.
Wiescamp scored 11 of the Titans’ 14 points in the first quarter on a night in which she hit 12 buckets in the paint, going 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the win.
Along with Wiescamp, junior Lyanna Nevarez added 10 points for the Titans, while senior guard Alyssa Wenzel added 6 points.
Coal Ridge (5-3) takes on Vail Christian at home Saturday in the final game before holiday break. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Montrose 57, Roaring Fork 24
The Montrose Indians ruined Roaring Fork’s unbeaten season Friday night on Day Two of the Black Canyon Classic, knocking off the Roaring Fork girls 57-24.
Against the Indians, senior guard Logan Erickson led the Rams with 9 points, whiel senior Gaby Santana added 4 points.
Roaring Fork struggled to score in the second half, scoring just 3 fourth-quarter points in the loss.
Montrose was led by Kennade Minerich with 15 points, while Breanna Moss added 13 points.
Roaring Fork (6-1) takes on Woodland Park at 9 a.m. Saturday, closing out the Black Canyon Classic.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Coal Ridge 83, Paonia 38
On the road Friday evening for a non-league matchup with the Paonia Eagles, the Coal Ridge Titans boys basketball team thoroughly dismantled the Eagles, rolling to an 83-38 win to remain unbeaten on the season.
Coal Ridge scored 22 points in the first quarter, 21 in the second quarter, and 23 in the third quarter to pull away from the Eagles. In the win, senior center Kevin DiMarco scored a game-high 21 points, while senior Payton White added 18 points.
All but one player scored a point for the Titans in the win as the Titans cruised.
Coal Ridge (7-0) takes on Vail Christian Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Rifle 50, Basalt 33
Traveling to Basalt Friday evening for a non-league matchup with the Basalt Longhorns, the Rifle Bears boys basketball team picked up a big 50-33 win, bouncing back from Tuesday’s loss on the road at Coal Ridge.
Against the Longhorns, junior guard Trey Lujan led the way with 15 points, while junior Tanner Cotner added 10 points off the bench, bringing energy to the floor on a night in which the Bears needed it, according to second-year head coach Kyle Daniell.
Senior Omar Chavez added 9 points, while senior Joel Lopez added 6 points.
Rifle (5-1) takes on Moffat County Saturday evening in Rifle at 5:30 p.m.
Palisade 41, Roaring Fork 28
The Roaring Fork Rams boys basketball team struggled against the Palisade Bulldogs on Day Two of the Black Canyon Classic in Montrose, dropping a 41-28 decision in which the Rams scored just 2 fourth quarter points.
Against the Bulldogs, senior Leo Loya led Roaring Fork with 9 points, while senior Aidan Sloan and sophomore Graham Pietch added 8 points each.
Roaring Fork (1-5) takes on Pagosa Springs Saturday morning at 11 a.m. on the final day of the Black Canyon Classic.