The Dove Creek Bulldogs entered the fourth quarter with a 21-point lead over the Dolores Bears on Tuesday, but things got tense in a hurry.
The Bears’ pressure defense forced turnovers and they were able to convert on the other end to spark a 13-0 run to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to eight with under four minutes to play.
Dove Creek senior Jordan Ernst scored the team’s first fourth-quarter points with a floater in the lane with 3:30 remaining to get the lead back to double-digits, but the Bears wouldn’t go away.
Dolores senior Josh McCoy hit a three to trim the lead to seven with under a minute left, then connected on another triple with 35 seconds left to pull the Bears within five, 56-51.
After two free throws by Ernst, Dolores senior Kyle Biery banked in a three with just under 10 seconds left to draw the Bears back within striking distance at 58-54.
But after being intentionally fouled, Ernst again stepped to the line and calmly knocked down two free throws to seal the game, giving Dove Creek a hard-fought 60-54 win.
“He likes the pressure,” said Dove Creek head coach Ty Gray. “I don’t know if it’s the challenge or what, but he likes the pressure and he steps up.”
Dove Creek went into halftime with a nine point lead, and extended the gap to 21 to start the fourth quarter, but Dolores would claw back to within four.
“When we were in the valley they fought their hearts out like that too, and same thing tonight,” Bears head coach Larry Schwartz said. “They don’t quit, they’ll play for four quarters. I’m proud of them.”
Gray said the Bulldogs came into the game hoping to dominate the boards and get the ball inside, and with 25 offensive rebounds gave they had ample second-chance opportunities to score.
“We didn’t box out well in the first half,” said Schwartz. “Dove Creek is a big, physical team and they got us on the boards. We’ve just got to do a better job of boxing out.”
Beau Hemphill led the Bulldogs with 13 rebounds and scored 10 points, Ernst finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds and Dante Gallegos added nine points and 11 boards. Freshman Ryan Delano led the team in scoring with 16.
“I’m hoping he’s the piece that can help bump us to that next level this year,” Gray said of Delano.
“He is that additional ball-handler we have now, so if Jordan is out of the game or whatever, just like tonight, he can handle the ball. And he can shoot the ball, so that’s another addition for us,” Gray said.
McCoy led Dolores in scoring, netting 10 of his 20 points in the final quarter. Jalen Balderrama added 12 for the Bears, Biery scored 10, and Tristen Medina finished with nine.