In most games this season, the Bluejays have been a head and shoulders above their opposition.
Literally.
Mancos used its size advantage in the paint to overwhelm Dove Creek and grasp a stranglehold on the league title chase with three weeks remaining in the regular season, topping the Bulldogs, 59-39.
Dove Creek (7-6, 3-2 2A/1A SJBL) entered the Mancos High School fieldhouse with ambitions of breaking a lengthy drought in meetings with the Bluejays. An early three-pointer by Bulldog junior Kade Hankins gave the visitors a 3-2 lead, and their first quarter defense forced Mancos senior standout Connor Showalter in to some off-balanced field goal attempts.
However, the Bluejays eventually broke out of their early game funk using some transition buckets, including an Evan Sehnert steal and bucket, to take the lid off the basket and begin to impose their tempo.
After taking a 10-5 lead through the opening eight minutes, Mancos (11-2, 6-0 2A/1A SJBL) spread their wings in the second quarter, punishing the ball down low for Showalter and classmate Mason Goodwin. The duo combined to score 16 of the Bluejays’ 29 points in the first half, to turn a close game into a 12-point edge heading to the locker room.
Dove Creek had limited good looks at the basket and often faced one-and-done trips down the floor, which made their cold shooting in the middle part of the contest that much more devastating. Sophomore Logan Drummond and senior Chorbin Cressler tried to aid the offensive cause for the visitors, adding five and eight points, respectively, but a decisive third quarter in which Mancos held Dove Creek to five points put the game out of reach.
The Bluejays ballooned their lead at the free throw line, where the Jays tallied 17 points on the night, while three different Mancos players reached double figures. Showalter led the way with 14 points, to go along with 13 from Goodwin and 11 from sophomore Kail Wayman.
Hankins, who came in averaging 25 points per game, did most of his damage in the fourth quarter, with the outcome already decided. He scored 18 to finish with game-high honors, but Mancos head coach Bob Archibeque would be pleased with his team’s overall defensive dominance.
Mancos carried the momentum into a rescheduled meeting with Ridgway on Saturday, where the Bluejays throttled the Demons, 76-18, behind 17 points from Showalter, 16 from Sehnert, and 14 from sophomore Brian Veach.
The Bluejays now face a rematch against league heavyweight Ignacio, whom they dominated, 63-40, in their first meeting. A win for Mancos would virtually lock up a San Juan Basin League regular season crown, as they head to the home stretch. Their Tuesday, Feb. 1 meeting can be heard on local radio station 98.7 KRTZ and krtzradio.com, with broadcast coverage beginning at 5:15 p.m. for the girls game, with the boys contest to follow.
Games against Nucla on Thursday, Feb. 3, and Telluride on Saturday also face the Bluejays in the coming days.
Dove Creek travels to Ouray in their lone action this week on Friday, Feb. 4, looking to avenge a 57-52 loss against the Trojans.
