The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Major test coming on the road this weekend
The Titans boys’ basketball team had their first official Southern Peaks league 2A test last weekend and passed it with flying colors, beating Cripple Creek 60-48.
The scouting report on Cripple Creek was a bit daunting. Their post player Ethan Browning leads the state in rebounding and shot blocking and is the reigning 2A high jump champion.
In addition, they have a guard who is notoriously deadly from three-point range and a third starter who is capable of lighting it up if the other two are shut down.
“We planned for three strong potential scorers,” says coach Robin Loyed.
To make matters more difficult for the Titans, not only would they still be without senior point guard Henry Linehan, they were missing sophomore guard Clifford Gibbens and senior post player Jake Grogg would be joining the team after playing a hockey game in Breckenridge.
“I was a little depleted at the guard ranks and a little thinner than I liked,” says Loyed.
As a result, Cripple Creek managed to score more points on the Titans in the first and second quarters than any team all season. Fortunately, the Titans were able to respond on offense, working the ball inside and out and getting the top three Cripple Creek scorers in foul trouble early.
Sophomore point guard Jesse Reeves continues to take charge in his new role and opened the game draining a three-pointer. Junior Luis Aguirre added two more from behind the arc and junior Anton Peck continued to work against Browning inside as the Titans built an 18-12 lead by the end of the first quarter.
“Those three threes [three-point shots] really got us off to a hot start,” says Loyed.
Reeves and Peck continued to push on offense drawing fouls and hitting free throws. The Titans went to the line a total of 15 times in the second quarter and shot 12 of 15 free throws.
Cripple Creek closed the Titans lead to six points in the waning moments of the first half but junior Logan Bland came off the bench with a big basket at the buzzer. Bland took a pass on the wing and gave the state’s leading shot blocker a pump fake, stepped to the side and drained a jumper at the buzzer, giving the Titans a 34-26 lead at halftime.
“That was a real confidence boost,” says Loyed.
But the lack of depth started to play out on the Titans’ side in the third quarter and Cripple Creek chipped away at the Titans’ lead to pull within one point. Loyed turned to his bench again putting in Bland to give Reeves a break and a quick pep talk.
Reeves responded by coming back into the game to hit another three-point shot, a pull up jumper and sparking a 12-3 Titans’ run to close the third quarter.
“He just took over the game,” says Loyed.
Cripple Creek managed to drain a handful of three-pointers down the stretch but the Titans responded to each one, closing with a 60-48 win.
While Reeves led all Titan scorers with 18 points, Peck put together a complete effort scoring 17 points, grabbing seven rebounds and five steals and holding Cripple Creek’s post player to just six points.
Grogg posted another double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“Seventeen rebounds between the two of them is just terrific,” says Loyed.
Meanwhile, Aguirre grabbed five steals and is now in the top 10 in the state in steals and senior Sky Egelhoff doled out seven assists.
The icing on the cake came at the free throw line as the Titans shot 17 for 21 as a team.
“When you shoot like that from the line it makes it really tough on the other team,” says Loyed. “I thought it was a great first outing in the 2A Southern Peaks league.”
The Titans will have their biggest challenge of the season thus far as they head to Sanford on Friday, January 21 and then Center on Saturday, January 22. Sanford is the preseason favorite to win the Southern Peaks league.
“We welcome the competition and it’s time for us to play a team like Sanford,” says Loyed. “It’s a big weekend for us.”
