Kyle Mills / Post Independent
The Grand Valley Cardinals made the 18-mile trek up Interstate 70 to take on the Rifle Bears Tuesday evening in Rifle.
It was a night of runs for the Grand Valley girls, as they showed their quick scoring ability and defensive pressure, unraveling the Bears 61-17 in the non-conference game.
The Cardinals had an 8-0 run late in the first quarter, and continued the momentum in the second with another of 11-0.
The Bears were plagued with turnovers and a lack of good shot opportunities the entire first half, as they fell behind 29-7 at halftime.
Grand Valley didn’t let up in the start of the third, continuing the full-court pressure and keeping Rifle scrambling to keep possession of the ball.
“We’ve just been trying to really scramble on defense, get tips and hands on the ball,” Grand Valley head coach Isaac Pittman said. “If we do well we can score points fast.”
Pittman said his team didn’t let up because they haven’t played many games like everyone else. It was only Grand Valley’s second game back since Christmas.
Rifle, now 2-10, will look to bounce back on Friday as they host Eagle Valley, while the 7-2 Cardinals host Moffat County on Friday.
BOYS
Rifle 54, Grand Valley 44
The nightcap put two defensive-minded teams up against one another to battle it out on the court with the Bears prevailing 54-44.
The first quarter was filled with takeaways and stops, as Grand Valley held a slim 7-6 lead.
With a few key baskets from Rifle, and senior Carter Pressler on the court leading by example, the Bears took a 21-16 lead to half.
“He’s playing on a torn ACL already. He made the simple little plays and kept on the guys, making plays and sharing,” Rifle coach Kyle Daniell said. “The ball found him a little tonight. He really stood out, and he is kind of transitioning into a really good leader for us.”
The Bears continued to score in the third quarter behind buckets from Pressler and Treyson Lujan, going up 35-22.
The Cardinals were able to pull as close as nine in the final quarter, but the Bears held fast and secure the victory.
The Bears move to 7-7 on the season and will host Eagle Valley on Friday, while the 5-5 Cardinals will host Moffat County.
Demons roll to league wins at Eagle Valley
BOYS
Glenwood Springs 67, Eagle Valley 52
Riding a No. 4 Class 4A state ranking into Gypsum Tuesday night, the Glenwood Springs boys used solid defense against a strong 3-point-shooting team.
“Once again we controlled rebounds,” coach Fred Heisel said after the 67-52 win, which improved the Demons to 11-3 on the season and 2-0 in league play. “We did a good job of taking advantage of scoring opportunities in transition, and showed discipline in the last few minutes by taking care of the ball and controlling the clock.”
Glenwood opened a 33-27 halftime lead, then outscored the host Devils 15-7 in the third quarter to take command of the game.
Senior AJ Adams led the team with 22 points, and pulled down the majority of rebounds for Glenwood. Fellow seniors Mitchell Burt and John Iuele contributed 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Senior Keegan Garvey and junior Carlos Sanchez had 16 points each for the Devils.
GIRLS
Glenwood Springs 66, Eagle Valley 17
Senior Michelle Marshall stepped up big for the Glenwood Springs girls Tuesday night, scoring 17 points to lead another balanced scoring attack and push the Demons to 11-3 overall and 2-0 in league with the 66-17 win.
The Glenwood girls also cracked the top 10 this week in the latest Colorado High School Activities Association RPI rankings for 4A teams, coming in at No. 9.
“It’s great to have another player step up and be the lead scorer … tonight it was Michelle, but everyone did their job and contributed,” coach Rhonda Moser said.
Glenwood controlled the pace from the opening tip-off, building a 34-11 lead at the half and pouring it on with a 26-point third quarter.
Natalya Taylor had 15 points, as 10 Demons got on the scoreboard for the night.
Both Glenwood teams host another league opponent, Steamboat Springs, on Saturday. Game time for the girls is 2 p.m., and the boys are on at 3:30 p.m. at the Spencer-Chavez Gym at GSHS.
— John Stroud, Post Independent sports
