The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
At home this Saturday
The Crested Butte Lady Titans are in the meat of their league schedule facing the top teams, seemingly all in a row. It’s a high-pressure situation in the 2A class with the Lady Titans forced to run an offensive system due to the man-to-man defense more present in the Southern Peaks 2A league.
“Last year they had to play man-to-man offense twice,” explains head coach Brandin Hamilton. “They now have to learn and run a new system on offense.”
In addition, with a backcourt comprised of freshmen and a sophomore, the future looks bright with every game as a test of that new system, and piece-by-piece, they’re getting it.
“They can do it—it’s just a matter of holding it together,” says Hamilton.
Crested Butte got another tough trial on Friday night in mighty Mt. Olympus when the Lady Titans hosted the Del Norte Lady Tigers.
Things started out pretty good for Crested Butte in the opening quarter of the game, seizing on a slow start from Del Norte.
Crested Butte’s patience and hustle on offense, backed by tough defense, led them to an early lead. Junior Toni Brown sank a 14-foot jumper, junior Natalie Bowen chased down a loose ball and turned to drain a 12-footer, and senior Shannon Holleran turned a three-point play to give the Lady Titans a 7-3 lead.
But as the quarter wore on, Del Norte warmed up and started dropping the ball inside to their post player who capitalized time and again in the paint. The Lady Tigers unleashed on a 14-2 run but steals and buckets by sophomore Madie Stichter and freshman Shannon Costello slowed Del Norte down temporarily.
By the close of the first quarter Del Norte was sitting on a 24-15 lead and continued to build on it through the second quarter, taking a 48-21 lead into halftime.
“Ultimately, transition defense, conditioning and rebounding were what brought us down,” says Hamilton. “That’s going to catch up to you.”
Del Norte dominated the third quarter but, to the Lady Titans’ credit, they never let up, closing the quarter on a high note when Bowen buried a buzzer-beater from downtown.
Still, even with a 38-point lead, Del Norte kept coming, scoring 12 more points in the fourth quarter. Despite the pounding, the Lady Titans never gave up, with Brown opening the quarter with a 16-foot jumper and Costello turning a steal into a three-point play. Nevertheless, the Lady Titans ultimately fell to Del Norte 75-33.
Costello led the Lady Titans with nine points, Bowen dropped in eight and Holleran had seven points in her first game back from a two-week break.
“Natalie woke everyone up with the energy she showed,” says Hamilton. “She came out and, for moments, was the best player on the floor.”
It didn’t get any easier for the Lady Titans the next day as they hit the road to play Sangre de Cristo. Crested Butte fell into an 8-2 hole early in the game before Hamilton called a timeout to bring the team back into focus.
The Lady Titans came out of the break fired up, shredding Sangre’s press and rattling of five straight points, but the tide turned with one basket.
When a Sangre shooter sank a three-pointer under pressure, the Lady Titans dropped their heads and Sangre de Cristo went on the first of two scoring runs that made the difference in the outcome of the game.
The hole got deeper in the second quarter as Crested Butte found themselves down 26-10 at halftime.
Things turned around for Crested Butte following the break as Holleran sparked a solid half of play. They put together a six-point scoring effort in the third quarter and closed the game scoring 11 in the fourth, but still fell to Sangre de Cristo 48-27.
Holleran gained more momentum in her second game back in action, leading the team with 13 points.
“The second half of the Sangre game I saw the Shannon I’m used to seeing,” says Hamilton.
The Lady Titans return to mighty Mt. Olympus this Saturday, February 5 when they host La Veta.
“It’s another game to test whether or not we’re ready to compete at a higher level,” says Hamilton.
Tip-off for the girls’ varsity game will be at 4 p.m. and there will be continued raffle giveaways at halftime from the Teocalli Tamale. All you have to do is be there for a chance. The shooting contest will be during the boys’ varsity game, with the cash prize now at $300.
