If not for the powerful body of Spencer Gatlin, a Jan. 8 contest between Dove Creek and the Montezuma-Cortez High School junior varsity may have ended differently.
The Dove Creek big man proved too much for the Panthers to overcome however, scoring 15 points and controlling the boards, as the Bulldogs scored a 45-34 victory in Cortez on Jan. 8.
Throughout the early stages of the game, both teams struggled to score the ball. The Bulldogs eventually found their touch however, as Gatlin scored four points in the final minute of the first quarter to put Dove Creek ahead 12-5.
Opening the second quarter with a bang, M-CHS shooting guard Ben Chupp drilled a three-point field goal from the left wing. Dove Creek responded however, scoring five straight points to extend its lead to 17-8.
The Bulldogs led 19-12 heading into halftime.
“We did a good job of working the ball inside and making good passes,” said Kyle Schultz. “We’re working together a lot more as a team.”
Moving the ball effectively to begin the second half, the Panthers cut Dove Creek’s lead to 23-19 thanks to two layups by Luis Perry and a three-pointer from the right corner by Obed Semental.
A three-pointer by Panthers guard Daniel Fernandez cut the Dove Creek lead to 28-27 with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Schultz helped the Bulldogs regain momentum however, with a steal, coast-to-coast drive and layup with one second remaining in the third quarter.
“I stole it, and I wanted to make sure that I focused on the corner of the backboard and put it in,” said Schultz.
After both teams failed to score during the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, Gatlin took over, asserting himself near the basket and scoring eight of his 15 total points in the final four minutes.
“Sealing down low was key for me,” said Gatlin. “We did a good job of passing the ball to the big guys and getting easy baskets.”
Complementing Gatlin from the outside was Dove Creek junior Jordan Ernst, who scored a game-high 16 points.
Perry led the Panthers with 10 points, Cutter Mathews scored six points, and Semental and Chupp added five points each.
With its record now at 3-4 on the season, Dove Creek will next play on the road against Ouray on Jan. 10.
“I think we can at least go to regionals,” said Schultz, when asked about Dove Creek’s goals moving forward. “We might even be able to go further.”