Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Springs High School girls basketball team jumped out to a fast first quarter Saturday against Mead en route to a 54-40 victory.

The Sailors had a 15-4 first-quarter lead in Kelly Meek Gymnasium. It’s the kind of start the team was looking for.

“That’s basically our missing piece,” said Steamboat guard Hannah Moore, who scored 19 points. “These last couple of games, we’ve given the other team 10 or 15 points. (Saturday) that was the turning point for us. We came out strong.”

The Sailors (5-6 overall, 0-1 in the Western Slope League) dominated from the opening tip. Steamboat used its defense to convert easy buckets in jumping out to the big lead.

The Sailors continued their strong play in the second quarter, not allowing Mead to get much closer.

The Mustangs cut the lead to 22-11 midway through the second quarter before Steamboat’s dynamic duo took over.

Moore and fellow senior Tara Spitellie each poured in 14 first-half points to set the tone.

Spitellie led scorers with 20, and the duo’s 39 combined points was just one short of Mead’s total.

“Both played very well tonight, and they played within their game,” Steamboat coach John Ameen said about Moore and Spitellie. “They are starting to let the game come to them. We keep telling them it’s going to be there, and that’s what was happening.”

Steamboat extended its lead to 47-27 after three quarters and led by as much as 52-31 late in the fourth quarter before the game got sloppy.

Ameen said he was pleased with the way his team performed just a night after dropping its opening league game to Glenwood Springs.

“It helps,” he said. “Anytime you lose, you want to come out the next night and play well and win. This gives us momentum going into next week and back into league play.”

Steamboat next plays at 6 p.m. Friday at Battle Mountain.