After going 1-2 in the Sangre de Cristo tournament last weekend, the Dolores Bears returned home to host the Dove Creek Bulldogs on Tuesday.
“Coming back here tonight the goal was to even up our record at 2-and-2,” said Dolores head coach Larry Schwartz.
And the Bears wasted no time in pursuit of the win, jumping out to a 35-5 lead at halftime.
Most of the damage was done in the second quarter, when the Bears ripped off a 23-2 run.
Dolores forced turnovers that led to leak-outs and easy layups. Senior Tegan Hite went on a 4-0 run with consecutive steals and breakaway baskets.
But even when getting into the half-court and finding decent looks, Dove Creek struggled to get shots to fall.
“Our first half, we were just going against a zone defense and it’s something we need to work on,” said Dove Creek head coach Angie Gatlin.
The Bulldogs settled down to start the third quarter and played Dolores nearly even in the second half, scoring 20 points to the Bears’ 21.
“They jumped back to a man-to-man, and we’re just more comfortable against a man-to-man,” said Gatlin. “And shots started to fall.”
Kiera Baughman’s points came in the second half. She and junior Kris Johnson each scored eight for the Bulldogs.
Eight Bears scored, with senior Larissa Umberger leading the way with 13.
Freshman Tatum Majors came off the bench to drop in 10 points, Aryelle Wright added nine, and Madi Archuleta chipped in eight.
The Bears’ depth is a luxury, but Schwartz said they’re still looking for the right rotations.
“It’s not about who starts, it’s how we finish,” he said. “That’s the thing we’re preaching to them right now. And they’re really coming together.”