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Don't be deceived by the Hayden girls basketball team's 56-36 win against the Steamboat Springs junior varsity. Although the game ended in lopsided fashion Tuesday, it wasn't uneven until the Tigers went on a 23-4 run in the final six minutes to seal the victory.

"When we started playing defense, our offense started coming," Hayden coach Jayme Adams said.

Hayden held Steamboat to just 11 second-half points, while scoring 36 of its own, including 25 in the final eight minutes.

For most of Tuesday's game, Steamboat's full-court press upset the flow of Hayden's offense. Passes or shots were rushed, and the Sailors capitalized. Steamboat held a 25-20 halftime lead behind a balanced scoring attack.

After the half, however, the Tigers did a much better job breaking the press and running their offense, getting inside and outside looks at the hoop.

"I like playing Steamboat because they usually play (man defense)," Adams said. "And in our league, we see a lot of zone. (Tuesday) gave us an opportunity to work on our man offense."

Three players -- seniors Alycia Boyd and Lauren Branstetter and sophomore Emily Whiteman -- finished in double digits for the Tigers. Branstetter picked up where she left off Friday.

In the 74-39 loss to North Park, Branstetter finished with 13 points, including nine from behind the arc. On Tuesday, she made two 3-pointers and scored 10 points, helping to complement Hayden's post players.

"We worked a lot on our shooting during the summer," Adams said. "We were strong inside last year. This year, we needed to bring it on the outside."

Sophomore Erin Gleason led the Sailors with 12 points. Sophomore Shannon King added nine, and sophomore Maria Heilner had four.

Hayden (4-6 overall) hosts Paonia at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Steamboat's JV will play Battle Mountain at 4:30 p.m. Friday.

-- To reach Melinda Mawdsley call 871-4208 or e-mail mmawdsley@steamboatpilot.com