<\/p>\n
The atmosphere during Friday\u2019s game between the Dolores Bears (4-14) and Mancos Blue Jays (8-11) was electric \u2013 and a bit hostile at times \u2013 with both fan bases filling the Dolores gymnasium with cheers and jeers.<\/p>\n
Dolores head coach Larry Schwartz said that the energy and noise kept his team from getting into a rhythm at times, but that at other times, they fed off of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little bit of both,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a fun atmosphere. We\u2019re glad it happened. This is how it\u2019s always been with Mancos and us. It was a great rivalry game, and tonight it went right up to its billing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s fun basketball,\u201d echoed Mancos head coach Rodney Cox. \u201cI don\u2019t think it prevented us from doing one thing or the other. It\u2019s just a fun environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cox did say that the noise level made it difficult to communicate with players on the floor, and that while his team had prepared signs to communicate, they didn\u2019t follow them as well as he would\u2019ve liked.<\/p>\n
The scoring dripped in during the first quarter, with Dolores leading 9-8 after one. But in the second, the points began to flow.<\/p>\n
Senior Ben Lykins led the Bears with six in the second, and after Mancos senior Adrian Hernandez picked up three early fouls and was forced to sit, the Blue Jays\u2019 scoring came in waves.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the heartbeat of that team,\u201d explained Cox. \u201cEverybody looks at Ro, but it\u2019s Adrian, he\u2019s the guy that runs the show.\u201d<\/p>\n
Without their point guard, the Jays\u2019 offense was a touch unsettled, but they got 10 points from Ro Paschal, two triples from Andrew Christensen and a bucket from Caleb Yoder to lead 26-21 at half.<\/p>\n
The back-and-fourth continued in the third, and the energy in the gym and the Bears\u2019 breakneck pace kept them around. Senior Jalen Balderrama led the charge, scoring eight points in the quarter.<\/p>\n
While the Jays outscored Dolores by one in the third, they were unable to establish their desired rhythm and pull away.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get out of what we\u2019re trying to do and being patient and we get in a hurry with some of our shots,\u201d said Cox. \u201cWe don\u2019t finish, we don\u2019t get our legs underneath us, we just get in a hurry and shoot it and I think we saw some of that tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The visiting Blue Jays led 41-35 to start the final frame, and the lead would grow to 11 points, but the Bears hung around.<\/p>\n
Dolores would get within three, 54-51 before the Jays pulled away, going 15-of-23 from the free-throw stripe in the quarter to hold on to win, 65-56.<\/p>\n
Paschal led the Blue Jays with 27 points and Hernandez scored 14. Andrew Plunkett added 10 points, Christensen scored eight, Yoder finished with five and Griff Huver added a free throw.<\/p>\n
The Bears were led by Lykins\u2019 15 points, and Balderrama was close behind with 13. Justin Purkat finished with nine points in the contest, Tristen Medina\u2019s six points all came in the fourth quarter, Kyle Biery and Branden Donaldson each scored four and Josh McCoy finished with three.<\/p>\n
The Bears fought valiantly down the stretch, especially after losing five players to a combination of injury, ejection and fouls.<\/p>\n
Lykins went down hard with 6:38 left in the fourth with a back injury and would not return. Shortly after, Balderrama went down after driving for a layup and separated his shoulder. He too was out for the remainder of the contest.<\/p>\n
Later, Donaldson was ejected for a hard foul on Hernandez. There was no ill intent, but in trying to stop the Mancos guard from scoring on a breakaway, Donaldon\u2019s speed and momentum sent Hernandez into the stage.<\/p>\n
Biery and Purkat would foul out in the dwindling minutes of the fourth, as the Bears\u2019 bench continued to shrink.<\/p>\n
Medina gave the Bears a spark with six fourth-quarter points, and Tristen Boren, Rueben Gomez and Casey Cable all gave Dolores valuable minutes off the bench. All things considered, Schwartz was proud of his team\u2019s effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just went right down the line and next guy up and they still fought like they fought all year,\u201d said Schwartz. \u201cThis team has so much character and they\u2019ve done it all year long. It doesn\u2019t show up in the win column, but they\u2019ve fought all year long.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bears will play against Ridgway (10-9) on Tuesday in a pigtail playoff game with the winner advancing to the district tournament in Cortez on Friday and Saturday.<\/p>\n
Mancos followed Friday\u2019s win with a 57-44 loss at Ouray on Saturday to finish the regular season, and they will next play in the district tournament on Friday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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