GLENWOOD SPRINGS (2/26/13) — The sophomores are growing up for Glenwood Springs as Madi Spence and Jordan DeCrow, with a big boost off the bench from Jaime Crowley, lifted the Lady Demons to a 4A first-round home win over Colorado Springs Harrison, 52-42 Tuesday.
Spence had a dominant, breakout game, recording just her second double-double of the season with 20 points and 14 rebounds. DeCrow made four straight clutch one-and-one free throws to increase a tenuous two-point lead to six in the final minute of the game, and Crowley scored 5 of her 8 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in a tense 11-9 third quarter that broke a 23-all halftime tie. Glenwood scored the first eight points of the game, but led just 14-13 after one quarter. Crowley’s three-point play with 1:48 remaining insured the Demons would lead 34-32 going into the final period.
Spence completed an “and-one” three-point play of her own following a great inside pass from junior Delaney Gaddis to match Glenwood’s largest second-half lead, 40-34 three minutes into the fourth quarter. But a 3-pointer by the Panthers’ Elena Martinez cut the lead in half and with two minutes remaining in the game, Harrison drew within two, 42-40.
Gaddis surrounded DeCrow’s four makes from the line with four of her own and the 8 straight free throws pushed the Demon lead to eight with 26 seconds to play.
Kenzie Nelson-Buehler, who has led the team in scoring all season continued to struggle for points, making just 1-of-10 shots, going scoreless in the first half and ending with 3 points for the game. But the senior , who tallied just 6 points combined in Glenwood’s two district playoff losses, found other ways to contribute, pulling down 11 rebounds and getting 3 steals. DeCrow finished with 9 points and junior Laura McDermott added 8 with 6 boards. Martinez, who made just 3-of-12 three-pointers, led Harrison with 14 points.
Glenwood (13-11), seeded 8th, will travel to the Region Four, number-one seed D’Evelyn (22-1) for the second round Friday. In Region One, 6th-seeded Rifle (16-7) defeated Thomas Jefferson (10-12, 11th-seed), and will travel to number three Palmer Ridge (20-3) for its second round game Friday.
