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Cardinals push past Hotchkiss, Titans down Basalt

Staff Report
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

PARACHUTE, Colorado ” Using an 11-man rotation to keep players’ legs fresh, Grand Valley’s boys basketball team topped visiting Hotchkiss 57-35 in the first round of the 3A Western Slope League district tournament on Tuesday.

Michael Shepard and Colton Cowan scored 14 points apiece to pace the Cardinals (15-5). Omar Melendrez added nine points, Landon Paskett had six and Derek Witt chipped in with five.

The win advances Grand Valley to Friday’s semifinals at Palisade High School, where it’ll face Coal Ridge at 4:45 p.m.



“The kids really did play hard tonight,” Cardinals head coach Mark Cowan said. “It’s kind of fun playing that big rotation like we’re doing. Before we did that the kids would look spent at halftime.”

After halftime is when Grand Valley put Tuesday’s game away. The Cardinals held the visiting Bulldogs to just 10 second-half points after taking a 30-25 lead into the break.



Grand Valley split its regular season games with Coal Ridge (18-2). The Titans beat the Cardinals 49-42 on Dec. 12 and Grand Valley beat Coal Ridge 50-35 on Jan. 20.

PEACH VALLEY, Colorado ” Andy Smedra scored 23 points and Eric Schmitz had 22 as Coal Ridge pummeled visiting Basalt 79-55 in the first round of the 3A Western Slope League district boys basketball tournament on Tuesday.

Big man Alex Klein added 14 points for the Titans, who improved to 18-2 overall and move to face Grand Valley in Friday’s semifinals at Palisade. That game tips off at 4:45 p.m.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Cedaredge beat Gunnison 46-30 and will face Aspen in Friday’s other boys semifinal.


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