Hayden boys basketball team burns by Soroco, winning 69-53

Hayden's Mark Doolin plays defense on Soroco's Nic Paxton on Friday in Oak Creek. The Tigers got up big early to take down the Rams for the second time this season.

By Joel Reichenberger

Friday, February 10, 2012

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Soroco vs. Hayden basketball on Feb. 10

2011-12 Tigers boys basketball schedule

Dec. 8 to 10: Cowboy Shootout in Meeker
Dec. 8: Hayden 43, Crested Butte 42
Dec. 9: Meeker 66, Hayden 35
Dec. 16: Hayden 59, North Park 41
Dec. 17: Little Snake River 66, Hayden 53
Jan. 6: Meeker 51, Hayden 42
Jan. 10: Hayden 53, Vail Mountain 41
Jan. 13: West Grand 68, Hayden 55
Jan. 14: Hayden 70, North Park 45
Jan. 20: Hayden 64, De Beque 36
Jan. 21: Hayden 59, Vail Christian 50
Jan. 27: Hayden 59, Soroco 40
Jan. 28: Hayden 74, Rangely 60
Jan. 31: Hayden 88, Vail Christian 72
Feb. 3: Plateau Valley 79, Hayden 66
Feb. 4: Hayden 75, Paonia 67
Feb. 10: Hayden 69, Soroco 53
Feb. 11: Hayden 61, West Grand 55
Feb. 17: Hayden wins through forfeit again Vail Mountain
Feb. 21: Hayden 73, Soroco 53
Feb. 24: District Tournament: West Grand 58, Hayden 55
Feb. 25: District Tournament: Hayden 73, Paonia 57
March 2 and 3: at Regional Tournament

2011-12 Rams boys basketball schedule

Dec. 1: Soroco 70, North Park 45
Dec. 12: Soroco 78, Moffat County JV 57
Dec. 17: Soroco 78, Gilpin County 70
Jan. 6: Soroco 63, Vail Mountain 49
Jan. 13: Rangely 67, Soroco 43
Jan. 14: Vail Christian 79, Soroco 39
Jan. 20: Plateau Valley 71, Soroco 56
Jan. 21: West Grand 52, Soroco 51
Jan. 27: Hayden 59, Soroco 40
Jan. 28: Paonia 66, Soroco 46
Feb. 3: Soroco 75, North Park 44
Feb. 4: West Grand 61, Soroco 48
Feb. 7: Vail Christian 78, Soroco 66
Feb. 10: Hayden 69, Soroco 53
Feb. 11: Meeker 70, Soroco 43
Feb. 17: Soroco 76, De Beque 71
Feb. 18: Vail Mountain 69, Soroco 63, OT
Feb. 21: Hayden 73, Soroco 53

Steamboat Springs — Hot foreheads may have rendered the Hayden High School boys basketball team vulnerable during a Friday night trip to face Soroco, but a couple of positively sizzling hands ensured the Tigers wouldn’t stumble in Oak Creek.

A Hayden team beset by widespread sickness came out red hot and made quick work of the Rams, finishing off a season sweep of the series, 69-53.

“I was really pleased with our performance tonight. Really pleased,” coach Mike Luppes said.

The win sets the Tigers up for a crucial game at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Hayden against West Grand. With a win, the team likely will be perched in the second seed at the district tournament later this month.

If the team can repeat Friday’s performance, there may be no way to stop it.

Junior Paul Laliberte poured in seven 3-point shots and scored 26 while classmate Mark Doolin hit two treys and finished with 24.

“I really liked our shot selection,” Luppes said. “We hit some good 3s, but they were coming out of our offense. We weren’t forcing them.”

Soroco was knocked out of the game by the early onslaught but was more competitive in the second half, thanks largely to another beastly performance from sophomore forward Ryan Jeep.

Jeep left the fans smiling by draining a long 3-point shot at the final buzzer, but that was just icing on his 28-point night.

“He’s really been putting work in and is definitely one of the best players in the league,” Soroco junior Nic Paxton said. “At the beginning of the season, he was a little slow, but now he’s playing the biggest role on our team.

“We played well tonight, but Hayden couldn’t miss a shot. We didn’t shoot a great percentage and we’ll have to shoot better. Now we have Meeker, and they’re a good team. We’ll have to come out and get after it.”

The Rams return to action at 4 p.m. Saturday at home against Meeker.

Game statistics

Hayden boys 69, Soroco 53

Hayden — Hunter Johnston 2 0-0 6, Paul Laliberte 9 1-3 26, Brent Gabel 0 0-1 0, Aaron Cramer 1 0-0 3, Jorge Valdez 0 2-2 2, Mark Doolin 9 4-4 24, Isaac Bridges 2 4-4 8. Totals 23 11-14 69.

Soroco — Matthew Regan 1 1-2 4, AJ Anderson 1 3-4 5, Cody McCollum 0 3-4 3, Charley Fitzhugh 1 0-0 2, Nic Paxton 3 1-2 9, Bjorn Carlson 0 2-2 2, Ryan Jeep 12 3-5 28. Totals 18 13-19 53.

3-point shots: Soroco (2) — Paxton, Jeep. Hayden (11) — Laliberte 7, Johnston 2, Doolin 2.

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