Even though the classrooms in the Roaring Fork School District do not open their doors to students again until Tuesday, the Glenwood Springs Lady Demons started their New Year’s basketball hardwood lessons a bit early with a hard-fought 55-51 overtime loss against the 4A Berthoud Spartans on Friday night at the Chavez-Spencer Gym in Glenwood.

Coming off a lopsided 61-31 loss at Green Mountain on Wednesday to kick off the 2023 portion of the schedule, the Demons needed a boost on the positive side to rekindle the momentum they had built prior to the lengthy holiday break. But the Spartans, who rebounded from a 10-point third quarter deficit, were not willing to cooperate.

After trailing for much of the first quarter, Glenwood got a buzzer-beating score from senior Tori Taylor who dropped the ball softly off the glass after an assist from junior post Bailey Winder to give the Demons a slim 16-15 lead after one period.

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Senior Joslyn Spires followed suit by launching and connecting on a long corner 3-pointer to give the home team a 27-24 lead at intermission. The Demons had started the quarter ice cold, not scoring until the 3:22 mark of the period and trailing 22-16.

After a timeout by Glenwood coach Rhonda Moser, Taylor got a couple scores near the basket to give her team a second quarter burst. She was joined by Demon senior Mattea Enewold, who muscled her way to a basket in the painted area to knot the game at 22-all.

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The Demons continued to kick up their heels in the third period, and for a short while, looked like they would run away and hide from the visiting Spartans.

Glenwood put together an 8-1 run to start the final half. Spires swiped an errant Berthoud pass and hit Enewold with a picture-perfect assist. Enewold was fouled on the play and converted the free throw to make it 30-25 in favor of the Demons. Next, senior guard Ruby Patch was off and running down the lane, hitting a floating shot to put Glenwood up by seven points. Just when it looked like the Demons had things well in hand, the Spartans awakened from their slumber.

Senior guard Katie Vierra notched a 3-pointer and fellow senior Reece Kraljic hit a jumper and scored on a layup to bring the Spartans back into the game, trailing just 39-37 entering the final eight minutes of play.

Taylor’s first basket of the second half was followed by free throws from Enewold and Patch to give Glenwood a 43-37 lead. But as was so often the case throughout the entire game, the Spartans lived up to their nickname and came battling back.

Senior guard Lilly Strait hit a layup and a long 3-pointer, setting up the tense moments in the game’s final few minutes in which both teams committed costly turnovers, necessitating an extra four minutes of overtime.

The 3-ball was kind again to Berthoud to start the extra session. This time it was sophomore guard Kaylee Padilla who did the damage from long range to put Berthoud up 49-46. Enewold had an answer with a layup for Glenwood. It was then Spires with an exclamation 3-pointer to give Glenwood a lead of 51-49 with 2:05 left in the game.

Berthoud got a couple of quick scores, with a reverse layup by Vierra doing the most damage to the Glenwood hopes as the Spartans had taken a 53-51 lead.

Following a timeout by Moser, Glenwood got several good looks at the basket that were off the intended target. The Demons were forced to foul with 3.5 seconds to play and Berthoud converted on both foul shots for the game’s final margin.

Berthoud upped its season record to 3-5 with the win.

Statistically, Glenwood got a big performance from Enewold who tallied 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds. Patch and Taylor both contributed 12 points. Spires had 9 points, all on 3-pointers.

The Glenwood girls (7-4 overall) who were listed fifth in the state’s 5A power rankings prior to the back-to-back losses now face a tough stretch of games against Fruita Monument, Grand Junction Central, and Montrose. The Demons will travel to Fruita on Thursday and to Central on the Saturday before returning home to face Montrose on Jan. 17. Those three opponents are all highly ranked in Colorado’s 6A and 5A divisions.

Sideline note: Glenwood coach Rhonda Moser was back on the Demon sidelines on Friday night, following a week-long absence after injuring herself in a skiing accident the day before Christmas. The team reported that Moser suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn meniscus, and a fractured tibia. She is on the road to recovery and should be with the team for the rest of the season.

In other Friday night girls basketball action, it was Grand Valley downing Coal Ridge in Parachute, 60-37; and Rifle in a low-scoring affair, 26-16 over Steamboat Springs on the road. In boys action, Coal Ridge beat Grand Valley, 64-37, and Steamboat Springs defeated Rifle, 52-15.

Saturday scores: Boys — Coal Ridge 61, Moffat County 52; Grand Valley 55, Gunnison 46; Palisade 56, Rifle 19; Girls — Grand Valley 62, Gunnison 28; Coal Ridge 40, Moffat County 36; Palisade 33, Rifle 31.