Two wins for Titan boys on weekend road trip

7-0 record, ranked seventh in the state

Great defense is the key to success. Just look at who’s left in the NFL playoffs. Of the four teams remaining in the post season, three are the top-ranked defenses in the league.

Furthermore, just look at the Crested Butte Titans boys’ basketball team.
Over the weekend, the Titan boys’ basketball team held their opponents to an average of 30 points per game to string together two road wins, improving their record to 7-0. They remain ranked in the top 10 in the state.
“Our defense was exceptional and that’s what carried us through the weekend,” says Titans head coach Robin Loyed.
The Titans were hit with illness and injuries the week prior to the two games, leaving Loyed a bit unsure of what lay ahead for his Titans team.
“I was a little concerned,” says Loyed. “I came to the bus on Friday not knowing who we were going to have.”
With nine players prepared to play, the Titans took the court Friday, January 9 and hammered the Moffat Cowboys 65-21 as the defense scrapped for a team-record 27 steals in the game.
“That’s just solid ball-hawking defense,” says Loyed.
The Titans spent the first half working on their press to hold Moffat to 11 points. Senior Chris Sharpe got the offense rolling early with two big three-pointers, Sharpe had eight points on the night, and by the end of the first half the Titans were sitting on a 48-11 lead.
The sizeable lead allowed Loyed to filter JV players into the game for the third and fourth quarters, and the bench maintained the pressure to carry the Titans to the devastating 44-point win.
Senior Robbie Holleran led the team on offense and defense with 22 points and 11 steals.
Senior John Wright drained 19 points and sophomore Henry Linehan filled the shoes of injured starting sophomore point guard Sky Egelhoff with six points and five steals.
Moffat proved to be the perfect opponent for the Titans to shake off their Christmas break cobwebs in preparation for Sierra Grande the following day.
Loyed knew Sierra Grande was quick and would throw a variety of defenses at the Titans, including pressing Crested Butte for most, if not all, of the game.
“We expected it to be a tough game and they delivered,” says Loyed. “They pressed us on every possession.”
Crested Butte rose to the challenge, protecting the basketball and running their offense, despite the efforts of Sierra Grande and their hometown crowd.
In addition, the Titans put together another devastating defensive effort, holding Sierra Grande to just 15 points in the first half. Sharpe led the Titans on defense, stepping up to the task of shutting down Sierra Grande’s leading scorer.
“Sharpe had the defensive game of his life,” says Loyed.
The combination of the Titans ball protection and defensive effort led Crested Butte to a 32-15 lead by the end of the first half.
“That first half was as good a half we’ve had as a team,” says Loyed.
Sierra Grande adjusted their strategy in the second half, switching to a zone style of defense while maintaining their press, pulling the Titans out of their rhythm in the third quarter.
A 10-0 scoring run by Sierra Grande rallied their crowd and cut the Titans lead down to nine points heading into the fourth quarter.
Crested Butte regrouped for the final eight minutes as Loyed switched to a spread offense for the fourth quarter.
Holleran drained a key bucket to open the final period and Linehan pulled up for a short baseline jumper to rebuild the Titans lead and dash the hopes of a Sierra Grande comeback as the Titans closed with a 50-39 win.
Wright led the team with 24 points, including hitting 10 of 12 from the free throw line.
Holleran followed Wright with 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double performance.
“It got tough, but I was proud of the boys with their poise down the stretch,” says Loyed. “We took care of the basketball.”
The Titans have two more road games January 16-17 before returning to Mt. Olympus for a home game against archrival Creede on Monday, January 19 at 4 p.m.
As of press time both teams are undefeated and could be playing for the top spot in the Southern Peaks league come game time.