GLENWOOD SPRINGS (12/9/16) – “We found a way to pull it out,” Glenwood Springs Lady Demon coach Rhonda Moser said after her team won a second straight game on a last-second score by Tatum Peterson
Thursday’s 55-53 overtime win over Faith Christian was followed by a thrilling 33-32 error-filled victory that pivoted on three consecutive jump ball possessions in the closing eleven seconds, the last of which saw Maddie Bolitho’s inbounds pass finding Peterson open under the basket. After a slight stumble, the 6-0 junior scored the tying basket while being fouled to knot the score and comeback from being down 4 points in the final half-minute. With 2.7 seconds between the Demons and overtime, Peterson, who made 7 of 9 of free throws while the rest of her teammates went 0-for-6, dropped in the game-winner.
“After the big emotional win last night,” Moser said her team came out “flat-footed and needed to dig deeper. We’re psyched to be competing this year,” she added after the Lady Demons won just four of twenty games last season, missing out on the district tournament.
Peterson helped Glenwood to a 12-8 first-quarter lead, scoring six points, two at the stripe and converting crisp passes from Ellie Moser and Lauren Howell. But in the second quarter Canon City’s full-court press began taking a toll, resulting in an 8-0 run by the Tigers for a 17-16 lead halfway through the period.
A Bolitho-to-Peterson connection regained an 18-17 halftime margin for the Demons, breaking a five-minute scoreless stretch where they turned the ball over six times, missed three shots and two free throws.
“We’d like more consistency, but at halftime we talked about not panicking in tight situations, and they came out, and recovered,” Moser said.
The Tigers’ freshman Jerika Moore, who wound up hoisting 17 3-pointers, good for 15 points in the game, hit one to put Canon City up 20-18 after three scoreless minutes, but Bolitho’s driving jumper in the paint nudged Glenwood ahead 21-20 with 3:45 to go in the third. Two free throws by Peterson, and a steal and layup by Dani DeCrow capped a 7-0 run for a 25-20 Demon advantage going into the final frame.
Another Glenwood dry spell that featured three of four missed free throws allowed the Tigers to tie the score at 28 on Moore’s drive to the hoop with 2:41 to play. The Tiger press forced three straight turnovers and produced a 32-28 lead with under a minute to go.
Then the Demons got lucky. Forced to foul, freshman Kate Tedquist twice missed the front end of one-and-one free throw opportunities. Sawyer Warren tipped the first miss to Peterson, who converted a baseline shot on a pass from Bolitho to make it 32-20 with 30 seconds left.
Tedquist missed again, Peterson going high to haul in her 9th rebound but the Demons turned it over, only to regain possession on a held ball by Moser. Then Canon City forced a jump to get the ball back and called time out with nine seconds left.
The Demons set up a press and a sideline trap by freshman Natalya Taylor and Bolitho allowed Peterson to swoop in and force another jump. Bolitho took the ball out in front of the Demon bench and lobbed it to Peterson at the baseline for the dramatic finish.
Peterson led all scorers with 21. Bolitho had 6 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Warren grabbed 7 boards, and Taylor contributed 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal off the bench.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS BOYS 48, CANON CITY 40
After losing a 57-56 heartbreaker to Faith Christian Thursday night, Glenwood rebounded with a 48-40 win over Canon City on the strength of a strong 18-11 first quarter and making 10-of-14 free throws in the final period.
Carlos Nolasco-Montes ignited the Demons’ early surge, scoring all of his nine points, before he and his mates went cold in the second and third quarters, combining to make just 8 of 28 shots. The Demon defense, however, never yielded the lead as Glenwood led 27-21 at the half and 36-25 after holding the Tigers to just four points in the third period.
Aaron Smith made sure the visitors never had a serious comeback shot, making six straight free throws in the fourth quarter. Nolasco, who shook off a leg injury right after halftime, returned to find Nic Isrig open for a layup that pushed the lead to 13 with two minutes to go.
Smith and Angel Garcia led the Demons with 10 points each. AJ Crowley had 7 and Luke Gair 6, with Nolasco pulling down 10 rebounds as Glenwood outboarded the Tigers 34-17.
The Demon Invitational wraps up Saturday after with the girls and boys taking on Alamosa.
