Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Time and time again the Steamboat Springs High School boys basketball team pieced together small runs, surging ahead of Aspen on Monday night.

The Skiers responded every time. Well, almost.

A steal and a layup from Steamboat’s Charles Wood and a 3-point bomb from Justin Anderson sparked a late-fourth quarter spurt that finally gave the Sailors enough juice to put away Aspen.

Steamboat won at home Monday night, 52-47.

“We got a nice little run, put some pressure on them, forced some turnovers and that was the difference,” Steamboat coach Luke DeWolfe said.

Steamboat was best early and late in the game, riding a patient offense that worked the ball around the court.

Steamboat’s Wood, Ander­son and Randall Nelson profited in particular. Anderson hit a pair of 3-point shots in the first quarter, Wood consistently found ways to score by driving the lane, and Nelson played big down low.

Wood and Nelson finished with 14 points to lead the Sailors. Anderson had nine.

It wasn’t ever enough to flush a persistent Aspen team, however. The Skiers were led by senior Bridger Dawson, who finished with a game-high 18 points.

“We realized their whole offense was through that one guy,” Anderson said.

When things finally started clicking in the fourth quarter, Steamboat roared away with the game.

Aspen took its only lead of the game, 35-34, early in the fourth quarter before Wood and Anderson struck.

Eric Trousil scored to make the lead six points and Isiah Mendoza-Forsyth stole and added a layup of his own. He later added two free throws, and Nelson scored in the lane to give Steamboat a 10-point lead.

“I caught that last one and released it and knew it was in,” Anderson said about his shot that helped light Steamboat’s fire. “I’ve been starting out really cold lately, so I tried to get it into my head to just think of this as practice.”

Monday’s win wrapped up a stretch in which Steamboat played four games in five days. It won’t be getting a break any time soon, either. The team begins play Thursday in a tournament in Green River, Wyo.

“We’re at a good place,” DeWolfe said. “We’re getting better every single game. Now we’re headed up there, and we’ll face some very, very solid basketball teams. We just have to keep focusing on getting better.”

Game statistics

Steamboat 52, Aspen 47

■ Score by quarter

Aspen: 13-6-11-17 — 47

Steamboat: 14-9-8-21 — 52

■ Scoring

Aspen: Quinn Morehead 4 0-0 10, James Powell 1 1-2 3, Bridger Dawson 8 2-4 18, McCall Kauss 2 0-0 5, Mike Schwartz 1 1-2 3, Jake Nugent 3 2-4 8. Totals 19 6-12 47.

Steamboat: Isiah Mendoza-Forsyth 1 5-8 7, Justin Ditter 0 0-1 0, Randall Nelson 7 0-0 14, Justin Anderson 3 0-0 9, Hondo Anderson 0 1-2 1, Charles Wood 5 4-7 14, Eric Trousil 2 3-4 7. Totals 18 13-22 52.

■ 3-pointers

Aspen (3): Morehead 2, Powell.

Steamboat (3): Justin Anderson 3.