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Rams seek trip to finals; Basalt looks to stay alive

Staff Report

With the second round of the boys Class 3A District 2 basketball tournament slated for today at Rifle High School, things are going as planned for the Roaring Fork squad.

The top-seeded and undefeated Rams coasted into the second round of the tournament after rolling to a 37-point victory over No. 8 Olathe in the opener Tuesday night.

Tonight’s opponent has a bit more skill than Olathe, but Roaring Fork has made just about every game look easy this season.



Gunnison, the No. 5 seed, posted a mild upset over No. 4 Gunnison to qualify for tonight’s 8 p.m. semifinal showdown, and will need a much bigger upset to advance to Saturday’s tournament finals.

Like every other Roaring Fork opponent this season, Gunnison didn’t fare well against the Rams in the first two meetings. Roaring Fork won by 41 and 13 points in the first two meetings, and shows no signs of slowing up for the tournament.



The winner of tonight’s semifinal contest advances to the championship game Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at Rifle High School against the winner of the Eagle Valley-Aspen contest, slated for 6:30 p.m. tonight. The loser plays in the third-place game Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

Basalt has a much tougher road.

The Longhorns lost a tight 45-41 decision in Aspen Tuesday night and will have to run the table to capture the fifth and final playoff spot.

Basalt faces Hotchkiss, which lost 55-37 Tuesday against Eagle Valley, today at 3:30 p.m. The winner advances to the fifth-place game Saturday at 11:30 a.m., while the loser goes home.

Basalt and Hotchkiss split the season series with both teams winning at home. The teams also have identical 5-15 overall records.

While neither team has a ton of momentum at the moment, Basalt is in the steeper slide. The Longhorns are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, while Hotchkiss has two wins in the last four games.

Today’s other loser-out game pits Olathe against Cedaredge at 5 p.m.

The second round of the girls 3A District 2 tourney is Friday at Rifle High School.


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