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EDWARDS, Colorado — Tournament talk at Battle Mountain?
Perhaps it's a little too early — the Huskies boys basketball team still has five games left in the regular season — but, then again, they haven't sniffed the postseason since the magical year of 2006, so why not?
“Our goal is to make that tournament,” Battle Mountain coach Tom Padilla said after his team downed Rifle, 70-54, Saturday night. “If we get a few more wins, we can possibly sneak in.”
Many factors go into who makes the 48-team field, but how a team plays its last 10 games of the season is a big one. And right now, Battle Mountain (9-8 overall, 4-6 in the 4A Western Slope League) is making a good case on that count, having won four of its last five.
What's more, a win Saturday was just what Battle Mountain needed after a tough 62-54 loss Friday night at league-leading Glenwood Springs.
“After a loss, it's really good to get a win to bring yourself back up,” senior Huskies forward Edward Banegas said. “We need to get back on that roll.”
The Huskies used a 17-3 run at the end of the third and into the early part of the fourth quarter to break open a tight game. The Huskies' Cody Hervert, who's been a quiet hero of late, started it with a hard layup. And then it was showtime.
Parker Lathrop, on his way to 21 points, drained a 3 and followed with a layup. Miguel Copas added a bucket and Shawn Martinez hit a jumper as the buzzer went off to make it 44-36.
The Huskies promptly opened the final stanza with back-to-back 3s from Martinez and Lathrop and win No. 9 was theirs.
“Once they got ahead a little bit, we had to play a bit in a way that helped them because they're good at getting out and running the floor,” said Rifle coach Chris Lowther, whose team fell to 9-9 and 5-5. “They had a couple big 3s to stretch that lead out. They do that well.”
So does Rifle's Tyler Rust, who had a game-high 25 points. He did everything he could to keep the Bears in the game.
“He's definitely someone everyone's aware of and someone we want to play his best game each day,” Lowther said. “We expect other teams to be aware or him and other teams to try to do things to stop him.”
Perhaps it's a little too early — the Huskies boys basketball team still has five games left in the regular season — but, then again, they haven't sniffed the postseason since the magical year of 2006, so why not?
“Our goal is to make that tournament,” Battle Mountain coach Tom Padilla said after his team downed Rifle, 70-54, Saturday night. “If we get a few more wins, we can possibly sneak in.”
Many factors go into who makes the 48-team field, but how a team plays its last 10 games of the season is a big one. And right now, Battle Mountain (9-8 overall, 4-6 in the 4A Western Slope League) is making a good case on that count, having won four of its last five.
What's more, a win Saturday was just what Battle Mountain needed after a tough 62-54 loss Friday night at league-leading Glenwood Springs.
“After a loss, it's really good to get a win to bring yourself back up,” senior Huskies forward Edward Banegas said. “We need to get back on that roll.”
The Huskies used a 17-3 run at the end of the third and into the early part of the fourth quarter to break open a tight game. The Huskies' Cody Hervert, who's been a quiet hero of late, started it with a hard layup. And then it was showtime.
Parker Lathrop, on his way to 21 points, drained a 3 and followed with a layup. Miguel Copas added a bucket and Shawn Martinez hit a jumper as the buzzer went off to make it 44-36.
The Huskies promptly opened the final stanza with back-to-back 3s from Martinez and Lathrop and win No. 9 was theirs.
“Once they got ahead a little bit, we had to play a bit in a way that helped them because they're good at getting out and running the floor,” said Rifle coach Chris Lowther, whose team fell to 9-9 and 5-5. “They had a couple big 3s to stretch that lead out. They do that well.”
So does Rifle's Tyler Rust, who had a game-high 25 points. He did everything he could to keep the Bears in the game.
“He's definitely someone everyone's aware of and someone we want to play his best game each day,” Lowther said. “We expect other teams to be aware or him and other teams to try to do things to stop him.”
Lady Bears rout Huskies
Meanwhile, Rifle is off to the Pepsi Center in Denver for its games Thursday against Steamboat Springs.Yep, the 4A Slope is hitting the Front Range and the girls basketball game between the Bears and the Sailors is a big one.
“We're really looking forward to it,” Rifle coach Stephanie Heald said. “They're second in the league and we're the only team who's beat them, so we really have to pick up our game for it. But it's going to be fun to go down there for it.”
Rifle (14-4, 10-0) could all but wrap up a Slope title Thursday with a win over the Sailors. The Bears set up the Pepsi Center showdown by taking care of business against Battle Mountain, 76-29, Saturday night.
The Bears had four scorers in double digits: Cortney Cordova (21), Ciara Euler (15), Makayla Wilkins (14) and Racheal Keithley (12). Battle Mountain's next game is at Delta Friday night.
cfreud@vaildaily.com
