The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Big home game this Friday
By Than Acuff
The Crested Butte Titans boys basketball team cruised to a 69-28 win over the Center Vikings on Friday, January 19, and are now 6-2 on the season with a big test coming up when they host league opponent Sargent on Friday, January 26 at 5:45 p.m.
Admittedly, the Vikings were not expected to be a major challenge for the Titans, but Center has a long history of quality basketball and can pose problems for the Crested Butte squad.
“When you believe in your kids, you’re always hoping and expecting to win,” says coach Hannes Gehring.
Still, Center is Center, and teams from the San Luis Valley are notoriously competitive no matter what their record says, so Gehring made sure to emphasize a few things prior to the game. For one, with their fitness level getting better and better every week, Gehring has made a point of getting his team to push the pace from the opening tip-off to the final horn. Playing that high-paced style can result in some poor decision-making so Gehring also emphasized team play and taking care of the ball.
“I told them we’re such a better team when we play unselfish,” says Gehring. “And I set a goal of committing less than 14 turnovers.”
Gehring admits that the team may have taken his first request a bit too far in the first half.
“We were almost too generous,” says Gehring.
Whether they were too generous or not, it was working as the Titans jumped out to an 11-0 lead with five different Titans scoring. Strangely, when they went up 9-0 and were obviously well in control of the game, Gehring called a timeout. The Titans came out of the break and continued to pour it on with Weston Miller, Adin Kurak and Riley Davis all scoring to help lead the team to a 20-5 lead by the end of the first quarter.
“Before the game we planned to call a timeout at a certain time and put in a new defense and they executed that defense to a T,” says Gehring. “There was really no need, we just wanted to practice something coming out of a timeout.”
After giving up four points to Center to open the second quarter, Eli Hulm sliced to the basket for a layup and Miller rolled coast-to-coast for two more. Gehring looked to some of his younger players to work the floor with the starters and they continued to keep the Titans on track with Tyus Fischer, Vinnie Scortino and Isaac Jennings all contributing as the Titans took a comfortable 37-12 lead into halftime.
“I think we were just too fast on transitions and dominated the glass,” says Gehring.
The same continued through the second half as the Titans’ defense, rebounding and proficiency on offense carried them to the 69-28 win. Miller led the Titans with 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Davis scored 14 points, Kurak had 10 on the night and Porter Donohue scored nine points.
“They’re able to apply different schemes and that makes us more dangerous as a team,” says Gehring. “This team is just really good at owning what we’re trying to do at that moment.”
That ability and effort will be put to a serious test this week with an away game against Monte Vista and then a home game against Sargent, both of which are aspiring for a league title along with the Titans.
“Monte Vista will be tough,” says Gehring. “I’m glad we get Sargent at home.”
Win or lose, Gehring likes what he has been seeing thus far.
“Porter [Donohue] and Adin [Kurak] have really stepped up as leaders and that has really galvanized the team,” says Gehring. “We haven’t hit our ceiling yet and that’s exciting for a coach. It’s nice to feel that you have a chance, no matter who you’re playing.”
