Facing off against two San Juan Basin League opponents last weekend, the Mancos High School boys basketball team showcased its versatility while coasting to two easy wins.
The first of those wins came at home on Jan. 26 when the Bluejays, buoyed by 24 points from sophomore forward Cayden Showalter, coasted to a 70-32 victory over Norwood.
The opening eight minutes of the contest were especially impressive as Mancos came out firing on all cylinders and built a 22-2 lead. That lead grew to 37-12 by halftime and 57-20 by the end of the third quarter before the Bluejays emptied their bench during the final eight minutes.
Showalter’s big scoring night was complimented by solid performances from guards Caleb Yoder, Christian Cova, and Sonny Webb, who each scored 10 points. Anthony Medina added 8 points, and Hunter Hoover scored 4 points for the Bluejays.
One day after blowing out Norwood, Mancos traveled to face Ouray and played impressively throughout a 53-42 win that turned out to be closer than many fans may have anticipated prior to tipoff.
Keying the Bluejays victory was a standout performance by junior guard Caleb Yoder, who scored a season-high 28 points and knocked down 11 field goals. Mancos led 16-8 at the end of the first quarter and 21-20 at halftime before outscoring Ouray 32-22 in the second half to pull away for the win.
Showalter complimented Yoder’s big night with six points and 12 rebounds and Cova and Webb scored 5 points each.
Now 9-4 overall and 4-3 in the San Juan Basin League, Mancos will return home for its next game against Ridgway on Feb. 2. The Bluejays will then hit the road for a contest against Dove Creek on Feb. 6.
