Titans Hoops

Crested Butte boys’ basketball falls to Salida

“We’re still trying to find that core group”

By Than Acuff  

The Crested Butte Titans boys’ basketball team had quite the eye-opener in their first game of the 2024-2025 season when they hosted the Salida Spartans on Tuesday, December 3 falling 71-28.

Coach Mike Bacani knew it would be a massive challenge for his Titans team. Not only does Salida have a 7-foot player who is rumored to be considered an NCAA Division I prospect, but they came into the season ranked sixth in 3A.

“They’re one of the best teams that we will see for a while,” says Bacani. “They were as advertised.”

While it started a bit rough for the Titans, Crested Butte’s defense did an admirable job inside against Salida’s big man led by the effort of Luke Jennings.

“Defensively, I couldn’t have asked for much more out of Luke,” says Bacani.

And Jennings got lots of help from his teammates, but Salida proved more than just their big man as they hit a series of three-pointers, including one from their big man, to build an 11-2 lead. 

The Spartans also came at the Titans with a solid halfcourt trap and while the Titans did find some openings, they couldn’t knock down the necessary shots. John Mitchell did hit a three-pointer for some relief, but other open looks missed the mark, and the Spartans continued to find baskets inside and out to build a 24-8 lead by the end of the first quarter.

“Their press was either feast or famine for us,” says Bacani. “They either stole the ball for layups, or we got good looks that just didn’t fall.”

Adin Kurak and Jennings each knocked down three-pointers in the second quarter, but Salida’s mix of their inside game and perimeter shooting prowess with their speed up the court left the Titans reeling.

“It’s hard to replicate speed and size like that in practice,” says Bacani. “It was a wakeup call for how hard we need to work in practice and on defense.”

The Spartans took a 43-13 lead into halftime and came out of the break with an 18-0 run. Bacani and the coaching staff rotated players into the game to find a solution and there were stretches where the Titans matched up well, but the constant pace of Salida’s game wore Crested Butte down.

“For two to three minutes we could play really good defense against a really good team,” says Bacani.

But when fatigue would set in, Bacani had to look to the bench to give players breaks and team defense would suffer as a result.

Salida closed the third quarter up 69-19 and finished the game with a 71-28 win. Kurak led the team with 10 points followed by Eli Hulm with six and Jennings with five.

“The game helped us understand who’s ready to compete at that level,” says Bacani. “We’re still trying to find that core group.” 

Crested Butte has a different but similarly difficult challenge ahead as they host Sanford on Friday, December 6 at 7 p.m.

“Sanford is the class of 2A,” says Bacani. “Not as high scoring, they run a very patient offense, but just as much pressure defensively.” 

Tough loss for Titan girls in season opener

“We’ve got a lot to build on”

[  by Than Acuff  ]

It was a tough way for the young Crested Butte Titans girls’ basketball team to open the 2024-2025 season. Not only had practices been limited, but they faced the 3A Salida Spartans on Tuesday, December 3, one of the toughest teams they may face all season, losing 65-36.

“That was a very good team,” says Titans head coach Anna Bressnick. “Very well coached.”

In addition, the Titans first game of the season was at home and for a team that has only three players that got varsity time last year, it can be a little nerve-wracking.

“We’re a young team with not much experience and we were a little nervous for sure,” says Bressnick.

It showed in the opening minutes of the game as Salida’s speed up and down the court caught the Titans flat-footed, and the Spartans built a 15-4 lead midway through the first quarter with Molly Miller scoring all four of Crested Butte’s points.

A Miller steal and ensuing two free throws then lit a little more fire under the Titans and when Calla Fenlon dropped a 12-foot jumper and a free throw and Miller scored again, the Titans were closing in, down 19-11.

“I was thinking we’re just down by eight, well okay,” says Bressnick.

Fenlon closed the quarter with a lay-up and the Titans looked much more comfortable on the floor as they continued to hold the Spartans within reach through the opening minutes of the second quarter. Four more points from Miller had the Titans within 10 of Salida but a 7-0 run by the Spartans had them up 36-18 by halftime.

While Rio Crabtree, Grace Bogard and Lola Wright each scored and Miller continued her run-and-gun ways driving to the hoop, Salida’s speed up and down the court and precision on offense proved too much for the Titans to handle as they pulled away to a 53-26 lead at the end of the third quarter.

“We’re just not in as good of shape yet and we haven’t had enough time to learn how to defend against that,” says Bressnick.  

Salida continued to pour it on in the fourth quarter, but the Titans continued to battle as Miller, Bogard and Crabtree closed the game with buckets before the Titans fell 65-36. Miller led the Titans with 20 points.

“There’s a lot of good there, we’re just a young team,” says Bressnick. “I was impressed with how aggressive we were on offense. We were shooting and we were scared to shoot last year. We’ve got a lot to build on.”

The Titans remain at home for their next game when they host Sanford on Friday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.