GLENWOOD SPRINGS (12/14/13) — In an unprecedented 21st Century beginning to their seasons, the Glenwood Springs boys and girls basketball teams are a combined 9-0 after repeat victories over Eagle Valley to win the Demon Invitational Saturday.
GLENWOOD GIRLS 45, EAGLE VALLEY 33
The tables turned on the Lady Demons compared to their 21-point WSL win over the Devils four days ago. In that contest 6-0 junior center Taylor Martin was in foul trouble throughout and finished with just 2 points and 2 rebounds. This game she provided 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 blocks before halftime. Meanwhile the Demons’ 6-0 junior center, Madi Spence, picked up a pair of first-quarter fouls after a fast start on the heels of her 24-point, 19-rebound triumph in Glenwood’s 61-41 win over Faith Christian Friday.
However, teammates Delaney Gaddis, with 8 in the first, and Jordan DeCrow, with 7 in the second, took on the scoring load, giving Glenwood a 14-10 first-quarter edge and a 27-19 halftime lead. Spence had a strong second half, with 10 points and 6 boards, adding just one foul in each period to stay in the game.
The Demon defense, switching from man-to-zone, shut out Martin in the second half and after a 10-10 third quarter, held the Devils to just two baskets in the final period with Spence and Gaddis matching that output for an 8-4 slowdown finish.
Spence topped the scoring with 16 points, adding 11 rebounds. Gaddis had 14 points and 6 steals, and DeCrow, though scoreless after intermission, finished with 9 points. Jaime Crowley and Hailey Armstrong each grabbed 7 rebounds to help the Demons to a 35-25 backboard advantage.
The girls have matched last year’s 4-0 start under Gaddis, and set their sights on equaling the 5-game win streak in coach Bryan Derby’s last season of 2011-12 when they host Summit on Monday, December 16. The best start for a girls’ team in the last dozen years was 7-0 headed by Kenzie Kuhn, Lexie Warkentin, and Cassidy Gaddis in 2010-11.
GLENWOOD BOYS
Since entering the 21st Century, the Glenwood boys have never won their first two games of the season, though under coaches Greg Hire and Kevin Flohr, they had many successful teams. This year’s edition is now 5-0 after sweeping through the Demon Invitational, including a 4th-quarter win over Faith Christian for the first time in 19 years.
Having routed Eagle Valley by 30 points just four days earlier, the Demons might have not have expected the Devils to put up much of a fight… They scored only one basket in the first half in that game, but Saturday, led by Noah Ejnes and Travis Edgar, Eagle Valley led 11-4 until Brian Burbidge’s put-back and assist on Pete Steckler’s trey brought Glenwood within 13-11 after one quarter.
The Devils extended the lead to 6 halfway through the 2nd period, but Cam Horning, who exploded for 31 in a 61-48 win over Aspen Thursday, ignited a 17-0 finish to the half, scoring the last 10 points as the Demons took a 29-19 lead.
Glenwood found its 3-point range (they were 2-of-10 before the half) in the third quarter with Burbidge nailing two, Evrett Marr completing a rare 4-point play, and even Zack Peterson joining the long-range trifecta. Peterson’s trey put the Demons up 46-24 with 3:30 to go in the quarter, sealing the outcome despite a 17-6 final quarter margin for the Devils.
Burbidge led all scorers with 14, followed by a dozen from Horning, who after taking his 4th foul was scoreless in the second half. The sophomore guard still accounted for 53 points in the 3-game tournament and is averaging 18 points per game for the season. Zack Peterson ripped down 13 rebounds for the Demons, and Marr had 8 points and 4 steals as nine Demons scored in the game.
Glenwood returns to league action, hosting Summit County on Monday.
