After beginning last week with a subpar performance, the Mancos Bluejays boys basketball team turned things around in a hurry.
Telluride sprints past Mancos
Squaring off against Telluride on Jan. 14, the Bluejays fell behind early, falling 56-43 to one of the San Juan Basin League's top teams.
Appearing flat-footed during the early stages of the contest, Mancos couldn't match the quickness of Telluride's guards, who consistently scored easy fast-break layups.
By the end of the first quarter, Telluride led 18-7; by halftime, 29-13.
"We were sluggish, and we came out scared," said Bluejays head coach Rodney Cox. We didn't attack the rim, and we let them get second-chance opportunities."
Continuing to apply pressure throughout the third quarter, Telluride expanded its lead to 49-25 before emptying its bench and coasting to the victory.
"We just lacked intensity," said sophomore Ro Paschal, who led the Bluejays in scoring with 14 points. "Our goal before the game was to score more points than the other team, we didn't do that, and that's why we lost."
Mancos blasts Nucla
Making sure that their losing would not continue, the Bluejays traveled to Nucla on Jan. 16 and after a dominant performance, walked away with a 70-13 victory.
Key in the Bluejays' blowout was a balanced scoring attack, which saw Paschal (16 points), junior Brandon Hood (14 points) and sophomore Andrew Plunkett (13 points) hit double figures.
As impressive as the Bluejays' offense was however, it was the team's defense, which held Nucla scoreless during the first quarter, that made the biggest impact.
Mancos beats Aztec in OT
Closing out last week's play with one of their most impressive performances, the Bluejays dug deep in a 50-43 road win over Aztec.
After a back-and-forth first half that ended with the Bluejays leading 18-17, Aztec seized control, pulling ahead 32-29 entering the final quarter.
Not to be denied their second consecutive win however, the Bluejays battled back during the fourth quarter to tie the score at 41-41 and force the game to overtime.
Looking completely dominant during the overtime period, the Bluejays outscored Aztec 9-2 to secure the seven-point victory.
Leading the Bluejays in scoring with 14 points each were Paschal and senior Nigel Henry.
With their record now at 8-3 on the season, the Bluejays will return to practice in preparation for a Jan. 25 road matchup against Ouray.