Bulldogs close out Sailors girls basketball, 42-30

Steamboat Springs senior Brittany Long runs the Sailors offense Tuesday at Moffat County. The Sailors hung with the host Bulldogs for the game's first three quarters but couldn't close the deal, losing 42-30.

By John Vandelinder

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

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Steamboat Springs girls basketball, 2008-09

Dec. 5, Steamboat 57, Roaring Fork 40 at Roaring Fork Tournament; (1-0)
Dec. 6, Steamboat 63, Basalt 38 at Roaring Fork Tournament; (2-0)
Dec. 11, Steamboat 45, Summit 25 at Steamboat ShootOut tournament; (3-0)
Dec. 12,D'Evelyn 74, Steamboat 37 at Steamboat ShootOut tournament; (3-1)
Dec. 13, Green River, Wyo., 63, Steamboat 33 at Steamboat ShootOut tournament; (3-2)
Dec. 18, Star Valley, Wyo. 49, Steamboat 45 at Flaming Gorge Classic basketball tournament; (3-3)
Dec. 19, Green River, Wyo. 72, Steamboat 52 at Flaming Gorge Classic basketball tournament; (3-4)
Dec. 20, Rock Springs, Wyo. 69, Steamboat 29 at Flaming Gorge Classic basketball tournament; (3-5)
Jan. 9, Steamboat 47, Battle Mountain 27; (4-5, 1-0))
Jan. 10, Eagle Valley 41, Steamboat 39; (4-6, 1-1)
Jan. 16, Palisade 41, Steamboat 37; (4-7, 1-2)
Jan. 17, Steamboat 51, Delta 42; (5-7, 2-2)
Jan. 23, Rifle 57, Steamboat 53;(5-8, 2-3)
Jan. 24, Glenwood 57, Steamboat 48;(5-9, 2-4)
Jan. 27, Moffat County 55, Steamboat 48;(5-10, 2-5)
Feb. 6, Palisade 55, Steamboat 48;(5-11, 2-6)
Feb. 7, Delta 70, Steamboat 61;(5-12, 2-7)
Feb. 10, Steamboat 63, Eagle Valley 39;(6-12, 3-7)
Feb. 13, Rifle 53, Steamboat 45;(6-13, 3-8)
Feb. 14, Glenwood Springs 76, Steamboat 40;(6-14, 3-9)
Feb. 17 vs. Moffat County, 6 p.m.
Feb. 20 at Battle Mountain, 6 p.m.
Feb. 24 state playoffs begin

Statistics

MCHS 42, Steamboat 30

Individual scoring:

SSHS: Yost 1 0-0 2, Moore 0 0-0 0, Anderson 0 0-0 0, Willman 0-0 0, Rae 0 0-0 0, Scott 0 0-0 0, Long 0 1-2 1, Birch 1 2-2 4, Stockdale 6 2-5 16, Spitellie 0 0-0 0, Berglund 0 0-0 0, Hornstein 1 1-1 3, King 0 2-2 2, Duryea 0 2-2 2. Totals 9 (2) 10-14 30.

MCHS: Cleverly 0 0-0 0, Bauman 1 2-3 5, Snyder 0 0-0 0, Edington 1 5-5 7, Sanchez 3 4-4 10, Hathhorn 0 0-0 0, Nelson 2 1-2 5, Moser 0 0-0 0, Crofts 2 1-2 5, Yoast 0 0-0 0, Kawcak 3 0-0 6, Roberts 2 0-4 4. Totals 14 (1) 13-20 42.

Moffat County used a stingy fourth-quarter defense to pull away from the visiting Sailors on Tuesday, handing MCHS coach Craig Mortensen his 500th win with a 42-30 victory.

Steamboat (6-15 overall, 3-10 Western Slope League) hung around for the first three quarters, until the Bulldogs (14-8 overall, 11-2 WSL) closed the game with a 13-2 run and held the Sailors scoreless from the field during the game's final 6:32.

"We didn't take care of the ball," Steamboat coach John Ameen said. "We had no offensive continuity, and we turned the ball over. You can't win when you do that."

Steamboat junior Gracie Stockdale kept the Sailors in the game with timely baskets and aggressive play, on her way to scoring a game-high 16 points in the loss.

MCHS senior Ariel Sanchez led a balanced Bulldog attack, finishing with 10 points.

"We weren't looking so great there at the beginning," Mortensen said. "They did a good job of taking away our 3-point shot, and we had to win it with our defense."

The Bulldogs couldn't buy a bucket to start the game, as the Sailors jumped out to 5-0 lead behind a layup and 3-pointer by Stockdale.

A basket by Sanchez ended the Bulldogs' 4:30 drought, but the Sailors answered moments later on a basket by junior Lindsey Yost.

MCHS post player Danielle Kawcak found some room in the paint, banking home a shot to close the quarter 7-4 in favor of the visitors.

Moffat County opened the second frame with a full-court press defense, stifling the Sailors for the first 3:47 of the quarter.

Two more points in the paint from Kawcak pulled the home team within a point, and MCHS senior Courtney Edington converted three free throws to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game, 9-7.

Moffat County pushed its lead to three, but Stockdale kept the Sailors in it, scoring five points in the final two minutes, as the Bulldogs took a 14-12 lead in to the half.

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