Steamboat Pilot & Today

Gypsum — The Steamboat Springs girls basketball team will enter this week’s district tournament on a bit of a roll after a 52-30 win Saturday in Gypsum. It was the Sailors’ third win in four games and pulled them over .500 for the regular season (10-9) and to 6-8 in the 4A Slope.

“We’re playing well together right now,” Sailors coach John Ameen said. “It’s good to come together this time of year. We just want to continue to be excited about playing with each other.”

A 15-1 run during the second quarter by the guests broke this one open. Steamboat’s Alex Feeley and Alice Holmquist hit back-to-back 3s to expand their team’s lead to 25-12 with 5:21 left in the half. The Sailors’ Nikki Fry hit four straight free throws, which was critical in a whistle-filled affair — Steamboat already was in the bonus in the first quarter, while both teams were in the double midway through the second quarter.

Before the run was over, McKenzie Repollo hit from downtown and Mikaila Jegtvig had a layup. The Sailors went into the break with a 35-18 lead. Eagle Valley (11-8, 8-6) got no closer than 12 points in the second half.

“Well, we have a lot of basketball to play,” Devils coach Sam Bartlett said. “Every team has its peaks and valleys, and we’re just having a bad time to be in a valley now.”

Fry led the Sailors with 20 points, and Madeline Lounsberry had eight for Eagle Valley.

Ameen said he’s “95 percent sure” that the Sailors will be in a pigtail game early this week. The Devils, who finished in a tie for third in league play with Glenwood Springs, will await their seed number from the www.maxpreps.com computer, though Bartlett said Saturday that his squad likely will be at home Tuesday for a play-in game.