Lady Titans roll Miners in Mt. Olympus

“I think we’ve got something going”

Down but never out, the Crested Butte Lady Titans rose from the ashes of illness and a crushing defeat to shine in their first home game of the season, beating Telluride 46-23 Friday night.
Last week, state powerhouse Ridgway handed the Lady Titans a beatdown. It was salt in the wound for the Crested Butte team, as their numbers were already depleted by illness.
But coach Mike Moran knew good things would come. As soon as they could return to some modicum of health, they would start firing on all cylinders.
For one thing, the team’s defense is solid, holding opponents to well below their typical scoring average.
“Our defense is one of the top defenses in the state right now,” says Moran. “Our defense is what we hang our hat on.”
Secondly, Moran knows his team has heart. Despite the big loss in Ridgway, the Lady Titans never gave up and Moran knows that when given the right circumstances—i.e., a healthy team—they’re poised to pounce.
Friday night gave Moran and his team a glimpse into their potential with senior Elizabeth Kilpatrick returning to the floor after an extended illness.
“Elizabeth gives us such a big lift—she gives us an inside presence,” says Moran.
Granted, Telluride is not the strongest opponent the Lady Titans are going to face this season, but the Miners are certainly no slouch either.
“I knew that it could be a tough game,” says Moran.
The Miners came out pushing the pace and crashing the boards. They scored off the opening tip-off and looked to run the Lady Titans into the ground.
Crested Butte, while losing the battle on the glass, hung in there as senior Shannon Costello scored a couple of early buckets and inside players senior Suzanna Dumas and Kilpatrick scoring inside to help the Lady Titans build a 12-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. Moran reminded his team what their strengths are and the team made the right adjustments to break the game open in the second quarter.
“Our defense wasn’t as aggressive as we wanted them to be in the first quarter,” says Moran. “We have to score off our defense.”
Pressuring the ball higher and cutting off passing lanes led to a series of steals and breakaway baskets. In addition, it opened up the perimeter a bit more, giving senior Ali McGuire the chance to knock down a three pointer as the Lady Titans built a 25-11 lead going into halftime.
Crested Butte’s offense was a bit more erratic in the third quarter. While opportunities presented themselves when Crested Butte set up their half court offense, impatience proved to break up their rhythm.
Nevertheless, the efforts of Dumas and junior Madeline Pulley made the difference as both girls provided key baskets, and the defense did the rest, holding Telluride to two points in the third.
“Madeline is our unsung hero,” says Moran. “She’s the heart and soul of our program.”
Refocused and refreshed from the break between the third and fourth quarters, the Lady Titans opened the fourth quarter with near-textbook half-court offense. A series of passes and swinging the ball found McGuire alone from deep and she drained another three-pointer for a 37-13 Lady Titans lead.
Pulley and Dumas connected again inside the paint, McGuire dropped in a 14-footer high off the glass and Costello sealed the deal with her first three-pointer of the game as the Lady Titans closed out the 46-23 win.
“We did so many good things, overall I’m very proud of the girls,” says Moran. “It was a great win at home. I think we got something going.”
The Lady Titans have 10 days off during the holiday break before returning to the court for workouts on January 2.
“It was prefect timing to get a good win,” says Moran. “This is a well deserved break, to give the girls a chance to recover and then get back after it with some confidence.”