Two years ago, the Dove Creek high school boys basketball team failed to win a game. Last season, the Bulldogs finished the year 7-14.
Thus, when Dove Creek was competitive over the course of two games and picked up a win in one, players and coaches were left players and coaches feeling optimistic about the team’s future.
Opening the tournament against Whitehorse High School on Dec. 14, the Bulldogs stayed close throughout the first three quarters before losing 65-45 after three starters fouled out of the contest.
Senior Ryan Martinez led Dove Creek in scoring with 15 points, and freshman Hayden Gray scored 11. Dove Creek trailed 19-7 at the end of the first quarter and 24-22 at halftime. The Bulldogs began the fourth quarter trailing 44-38.
“We played a pretty good, balanced, game, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” head coach Ty Gray said. “We worked that high-low game pretty decent. Mainly though, we’re not very deep, and we had foul problems. Three of our starters got in foul trouble early.”
While foul trouble did hurt the Bulldogs throughout the contest, so too did the shooting of Whitehorse senior Hunter Thomas, who scored 11 points in the first quarter and 21 points in the game.
Dove Creek was able to weather the early storm, however, thanks in large part to Hayden Gray, who scored five points in the paint early in the second quarter to cut Whitehorse’s lead to 21-14.
After sophomore Branson Smith ignited the home crowd with 3-point field goals on consecutive possessions later in the second quarter, Dove Creek found itself trailing 24-22 heading into halftime, and it appeared as if an eventual victory was within the Bulldogs’ reach.
“Whenever we really get stuff going, we’re working the inside-out game,” Hayden Gray said. “We get it to the high post, and we look for shooters spotted up outside.”
“We’re been trying to get backside shots from the three-point line for me and Tristan (Jarmon),” Smith added. “It started working in that second quarter for sure.”
With the game hanging in the balance throughout much of the third quarter, the Bulldogs leaned heavily on Martinez, and the senior delivered with eight points in eight minutes and several pretty assists.
After Martinez cut Whitehorse’s lead to 44-40 early in the fourth quarter, however, the Bulldogs were unable to put the ball in the basket, and Whitehorse went on a 21-5 run over the final seven minutes of the contest.
“I think we definitely need to step up our defense and our rebounding,” said Smith, when asked how his team can avoid late-game collapses. “What we’ve been working on in practice is trying to get better shots.”
The Bulldogs’ second game of the tournament came against San Juan Basin League opponent Norwood High School on Dec. 15 and ended with a 51-37 victory. Statistics for the contest were not available as of The Journal’s press deadline.
The win improved the Bulldogs’ record to 2-4 on the season heading into a road contest against Ignacio on Dec. 18.