Steamboat boys bounce back for 3rd-place victory at Shoot-Out

Steamboat's Garrett Bye sets to go up to lay the ball in Saturday as the Sailors beat Montrose, 42-34, in the Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out.

By Joel Reichenberger

Saturday, December 8, 2012

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Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out: Day 3

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Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out Day 3

Highlights of Day 3 of the Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out at Steamboat Springs High School.

2012-13 Sailors boys basketball schedule

Nov. 30: Steamboat 46, Roaring Fork 33
Dec. 1: Steamboat 51, Basalt 27
Dec. 6: Steamboat 50, Montezuma-Cortez 26 at Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out
Dec. 7: D’Evelyn 74, Steamboat 34 at Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out
Dec. 8: Steamboat 42, Montrose 34 for third at Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out
Dec. 14: Steamboat 35, Rifle 33
Dec. 15: Glenwood Springs 47, Steamboat 45
Dec. 21: Steamboat 56, Summit 47
Jan. 11: Palisade 41, Steamboat 36
Jan. 12: Delta 55, Steamboat 48
Jan. 18: Eagle Valley 37, Steamboat 36
Jan. 19: Steamboat 42, Battle Mountain 41
Jan. 26: Glenwood Springs 42, Steamboat 30
Feb. 1: Steamboat 39, Summit 35
Feb. 2: Rifle 39, Steamboat 29
Feb. 8: Steamboat 52, Palisade 40
Feb. 9: Steamboat 35, Delta 34
Feb. 15: Battle Mountain 57, Steamboat 56
Feb. 16: Eagle Valley 43, Steamboat 40

Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Springs High School boys basketball team had hoped to gain valuable experience in its Friday clash with highly rated D’Evelyn.

It got stomped in that game, but the Sailors said the lessons they learned already were paying off just one day later as the squad surged late to beat Montrose, 42-34, in the consolation game of the Steamboat Springs Shoot-Out.

The win put Steamboat in third at the tournament.

“That was a wake-up call,” sophomore point guard Brody King said. “We really came into this game ready to play.”

The main bump came in dealing with pressure defense. There aren’t many teams in the state capable of dialing it up the way D’Evelyn can, so Saturday’s pressure from Montrose felt like a vacation by comparison.

Steamboat handled it much more effectively, cutting deep into its turnovers. That made a huge difference.

“That helped us in terms of learning what it takes to be successful,” Steamboat coach Luke DeWolfe said. “Today, it was sticking to our defensive principle and our guys executing on the court.”

The Sailors clung to small leads through most of the game, by two points after one quarter and, thanks to a slew of buckets from sophomores, by eight points at one point in the second quarter.

Sophomore and starting point guard Brodie King hit one 3-point shot in that run, and sophomore center Garrett Bye added a bucket, as well. Sophomore guard Mitch McCannon, coming off the bench, bracketed King’s trey with a basket and a 3-pointer of his own, helping open up the lead.

“We’ve definitely improved a lot, and we’re getting a lot of guys to play really well on the bench,” King said. “We have a deep bench, and that’s a big help.”

King hit another 3-point shot in the fourth quarter to give his team a crucial 33-30 lead late. The Sailors were sharp on their free throws afterward, allowing for the seemingly comfortable win.

“Some things are becoming more and more clear as we go through this,” DeWolfe said. “Some individuals are really stepping up.”

King led the team with 13 points. Carter Kounovsky added 11, and Bye had seven.

Steamboat, 4-1, will be back on the court Friday against Rifle.

To reach Joel Reichenberger, call 970-871-4253 or email jreichenberger@SteamboatToday.com

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