Lady Titans open season with back-to-back league wins

“We’ve got the skill level, we just don’t have the experience”

Where experience lacks, the Lady Titans more than make up in grit, determination and natural talent, as they kicked off the 2009-2010 season with wins over league opponents Centennial and Creede.

It had been three weeks since the Lady Titans preseason scrimmage so they were a bit rough around the edges in their opener against Centennial on Friday night in Mt. Olympus.
After falling behind 8-4 in the opening minutes of the game, coach MaryMike Haley called a time out to pull her team together for some calming reminders of their roles on the floor.
The break served its purpose as the Lady Titans followed it with an 11-4 run to close the first quarter with a 15-12 lead.
Junior Melissa Gibbens and freshman Maddie Stichter opened the second quarter with a couple of buckets and post players junior Shannon Holleran and sophomore Sydney Jernigan battled hard in the paint to help the Lady Titans build a 29-23 lead at halftime.
Jernigan scored seven of the Lady Titans’ first eight points in the opening minutes of the third quarter and Crested Butte was sitting on a healthy 10-point lead before Centennial came charging back.
A 13-2 run at the close of the third quarter put Centennial back on top 40-39 with one quarter left to play.
Gibbens came back in off the bench to ignite a 9-2 run in the fourth quarter, pulling down two big offensive boards and senior Sydney Loyed drained a three-pointer as the Lady Titans pulled back on top 48-41.
Crested Butte continued to roll to a 12-point lead and closed the game with some physical defense to seal the 58-52 win.
Jernigan registered her first of what could be many double-doubles this season with 24 points and 15 rebounds, Gibbens dropped in 12 points and Loyed and Holleran added nine and eight points respectively.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster ride but they kept fighting,” says Haley. “They’re so young and they did a great job. To have four or five girls on the floor contributing is massive.”
The Lady Titans then ran into a brick wall in Creede the next day but broke through to win 39-28.
Creede’s half court trap handcuffed the Lady Titans forcing them into 22 turnovers, and left them trailing 14-13 at the half.
“That trap frazzled us,” says Haley. “We were asleep in the first half.”
But, as is Haley’s modus operandi, she rallied the team in the locker room and the Lady Titans adjusted to the pressure accordingly.
The Lady Titans committed just one turnover in the second half pulling ahead 26-22 in the third quarter and carried their momentum through the fourth for the win.
“We were more patient on offense,” says Haley. “And we played great defense.”
Jernigan led all scorers with 20 points and Loyed and Holleran combined for another 15 points in the win.
“You just see the growth as the games keep coming,” says Haley. “We’ve got the skill level, we just don’t have the experience. I’m proud of the way they played this weekend.”
The Lady Titans have a three-game league series this weekend. They host Sierra Grande on Thursday, December 17 and then Primero on Friday, December 18 in Mt. Olympus. Tip off time for both games will be 5 p.m. They will then head to the San Luis Valley to face Mountain Valley on Saturday, December 19.
“We’ve got our hands full this weekend,” says Haley.