DOVE CREEK – When New York Yankees legendary reliever Mariano Rivera entered a game in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tight contest, Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” reverberated around Yankee Stadium. It was a signal to opposition that the game was over.
The Dove Creek boys basketball team might be playing the same anthem as they head out of the locker room at halftime. The Bulldogs have been lights out after the intermission, adding to a string of strong second halves on Tuesday night with a shutdown defensive performance in a 49-36 win over Ouray.
With the win, Dove Creek extended their winning streak to eight straight – and in those victories, Teresa Martin’s squad has outscored opponents in the fourth quarter in all but one of the wins.
It’s been a sterling run fueled by a variety of factors – at times sharp three-point shooting, while on other occasions, tenacious defense proved to be the difference.
Against the Trojans, DC turned up the defense in the second half, limiting the visitors to 10 total points after halftime while junior Josh Kibel and senior Sheldon Gardner sparked the second-half charge with 23 of the 28 points for the Bulldogs.
The duo combined for six three-pointers, while the rest of the Bulldogs pummeled Ouray on the glass, aided by juniors Trevan Ivie and Bobby Pastorius.
Dove Creek (12-5, 6-0 SJBL) heads into the second half of their double round-robin cycle through the San Juan Basin League, with rival Nucla waiting for a Feb. 8 encounter.
The Dove Creek girls required less drama in order to dispatch of the visiting Trojans to set up an opportunity for vengeance against Nucla on Saturday.
Junior Taylor Hampton posted a stellar day while dominating the paint, accounting for 18 points to lead all scorers. Head coach Julie Kibel enjoyed the chance to get in all 12 of her players, seven of which tallied points in the win.
Seniors Ralynn Hickman and Taylor Barry complemented the winning effort with 12 and eight points, respectively, while sophomore Mykaela Fury tallied six.
The ‘Dogs (12-4, 5-1 SJBL) shut out Ouray in both the first and fourth quarters while building a 26-4 lead at the break.
The Bears girls program has their highest winning total since the turn of the decade as Dolores continued their run of dramatic finishes in the victory over the Buckaroos.
Seven of the past nine outings for the Bears (6-12, 3-5 SJBL) have come down to the final minute, and the Bears improved to 3-4 in those games decided by six points or fewer.
Junior Taylor Erautt provided key buckets for the Bears at the end of regulation to give the Bears a 31-28 edge late in the fourth. However, the Buckaroos drilled a desperation three-pointer to tie up the game with just seconds left on the clock.
Not to be discouraged, head coach Taralee Hufstetler’s Bears reclaimed momentum in the extra session, with senior Savannah Stiegelmeyer making a pivotal free throw to give the Bears a two-score lead.
Stiegelmeyer led the Bears with 11 points, while Erautt added 10 in the win. Freshman Emilynn Hill added seven points and classmate Jordyn Erautt scored five as the Bears and Buckaroos split their season series – with both games requiring overtime.
Dolores heads to Ouray for a Friday night bout while seeking back-to-back wins for the second time this season.
The Buckaroos raced to an early 20-12 lead and closed with a flourish to complete the season sweep over the Bears. Dolores hung within six heading to the final frame, but Monticello standout junior Kooper Nielson helped propel the visitors to the victory.
Dolores (5-12, 3-5 SJBL) returns to league play with a trip to Ouray on Friday, looking for a season sweep of the Trojans.
