GLENWOOD SPRINGS (12/18/15) – The Glenwood Springs Lady Demons, after a 16-4 2014-15 season lost all five starters to graduation. A young and inexperienced team struggled mightily through the pre-season, but first-year coach Rhonda Moser stressed fundamentals and improvement as the Demons lost four of five games, including a 50-point thrashing by Centauri and a 46-point loss to Pueblo West in the final game of the Demon Invitational.
Friday at Chavez-Spencer Gymnasium, that persistence suddenly reaped a reward, as sophomore Tatum Peterson broke into double-figure scoring for the first time this season, pouring in 23 points to lead Glenwood to a 52-44 win over Delta in the Western Slope League opener.
It wasn’t a complete one-woman show, but Peterson did score ten of the Demons’ 17-12 first quarter start against the Panthers with jumpers in the lane, lay-ups, and a decisive put-back that fueled an 8-0 early run. Madi Bolitho nailed a three pointer after Delta cut into an 8-point lead, and that was a preview of the rest of the contest.
The Panthers scored six straight early in the second period to slice the lead to one point, 19-18, but sophomore Dani DeCrow showed her teammates how to make a pair of free throws after the Demons started the game 0-for-4 and Makena Warren scored on a put-back and converted the foul shot to push the lead back to six. Glenwood maintained that advantage at halftime, 31-25.
Neither team played well in the third with both teams combining to make just seven of 32 shots, going 2-for-9 at the stripe, and missing 3 3-pointers in an 8-8 morrass.
However Delta made another run midway through the final quarter, cutting the Demon lead to two, 40-38 before Peterson asserted herself at the line, making five straight for a 45-40 lead, and putting the game away on a pass from Megan Uren for a 47-41 lead with just under two minutes left.
The Demons dominated the glass, 45-31, with Madi Hert pulling down 12 rebounds, Warren ten (along with 8 points), Peterson 8, and the 5-4 Uren grabbing six.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS BOYS 70, DELTA 36
The Demon boys team also won its opener, racing to a 22-13 first-quarter lead behind three, 3-pointers by Cam Horning and pushed the advantage to 16, 41-25 by halftime. Glenwood came within one of its season scoring high with a 70-36 win over Delta. Horning finished with 27 points on 4-of-6 three-pointers, also grabbing 12 rebounds, dishing 5 assists, and adding 8 steals. AJ Crowley tallied 12 points, going 2-for-2 on 3-pointers, and freshman Angel Garcia, making his first varsity start, added 10 points, though he did miss all five of his 3-point attempts. Freshman Luke Gair and sophomore Cullen O’Brien combined for 10 points off the bench as the Demons evened their season record at 3-3 while winning their Western Slope League opener.
