The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“The first half was playing to our ceiling”
By Than Acuff
Everything looked in place for the Crested Butte Titans boys’ basketball team after the first half in their first round 2A state tournament game. Unfortunately, the Heritage Christian Eagles ramped up in the second half to take the Titans down 53-27.
The Titans reached the tournament winning two of their last three games to earn the 30th seed and were handed the third-seeded Eagles in the first round. It would be a tall task, literally, for Crested Butte as Heritage Christian have a 6’7” center, additional height to support him and averaged 61 points per game.
“Their shortest player is as tall as our tallest player,” says coach Mike Bacani.
That said, the Titans had limited their opponents all year to 40 points per game, so the idea was in place. If they hold the Eagles to 40 points, the Titans have a chance. Let them score 60, and the outcome would not be good.
“Whoever was closest to their average was going to win the game,” says Bacani.
The Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening two minutes with a mix of dropping the ball inside to their big man and draining a three-pointer and Bacani immediately called a timeout.
“I could tell the kids were anxious and the speed of the game caught them a bit off guard,” says Bacani.
Crested Butte came out of the break much more confident at both ends of the court to go on a 10-3 run. It started with Tyus Fischer draining a three-pointer and Bennett Crabtree finding a seam to the basket for two more. The Eagles responded with a basket, but Fischer drove through traffic for two more and the Titans closed the first quarter with a three-pointer from John Mitchell and a block by Crabtree to close it out tied 10-10.
The second quarter opened much like the first quarter and came perilously close to getting away from the Titans as Heritage Christian scored the first five points before Bacani called a timeout.
The Eagles came out of the timeout with a full court press to turn up the heat on the Titans and score another basket but when Fischer hit a three-pointer, the tide turned in Crested Butte’s favor. Owen Pugh stripped the ball off an Eagle for a layup and then buried a three-pointer to put the Titans out front 18-17 forcing the Eagles to call a timeout.
Crested Butte continued to push though as Isaac Jennings cut through traffic to get a pass and lay it in, but the Eagles responded to go up 22-20. The Titans had the last say though as Jennings fired a pass the length of the court over the press to Blake Bacani and he laid it in with two seconds left in the half to send the teams to the locker room tied 22-22.
“I was really impressed with Isaac on that play,” says Mike. “That first half was playing to our ceiling. We played them straight up defensively and offensively we were really patient. I don’t think they were ready for what we gave them.”
Heritage Christian adjusted at both ends of the court that would spell the eventual demise of the Titans. In addition to handcuffing the Titans with a new defensive plan, the Eagles started using their height advantage on offense getting the ball inside to their 6’7” center more often. He hit three jump hooks in a row, and the rest of the team used their height to generate additional points holding Crested Butte to just one three-pointer from Crabtree in offense.
“They limited our drives and dared us to shoot, and we just couldn’t make the shots,” says Mike.
Heritage Christian continued with their efforts in the fourth quarter eventually rolling to a 53-27 win ending the Titans season.
The Titans finished the year 11-13, 4-3 in league play to take third place in a very competitive league. The best part of it all, they don’t lose a single player to graduation.
“All 13 are coming back next year,” says Mike. “I was really excited with the way the kids figured out how to play big time ball when it matters, and they proved they’re not afraid of anyone. The kids realized after the game that this story isn’t over. We’re only halfway through the book.”
