The Monteauma-Cortez High School Panthers needed emotional sparks Tuesday night.
In quarters two and four, the Panthers were aggressive on their home court. They made steals, got rebounds, pushed the tempo and made assists to awaken a dormant offense.
However, in quarters one and three, the Panthers shooting once again chilled like the winter night air outside.
The visiting San Juan (Blanding, Utah) Broncos, never were rattled and played consistent basketball all four quarters.
San Juan withstood furious M-CHS rallies at the end of each half, as the Panthers fell, 53-46.
I told our guys that basketball is a game of runs, and this Cortez team is good and athletic, Broncos coach Jason Torgerson said. We told them at halftime, they just got to buckle down and play together as a team. It was a good game for us. It was a good road win for us.
It was an emotional game for M-CHS (9-4), who just never could get in a constant rhythm.
Yeah, emotionally, it was kind of like riding a surf board in the ocean. It was up and down, Panthers coach Eric White said. We tried to talk to the kids about playing a level, straight headed game at halftime. It was a game of emotions and a game of mistakes.
San Juan (5-4) won its third in a row and came out of the gates quick behind Barkley Christensen and Logan Meyer. The two Broncos saddled up and were shooting the lights out, helping their team to a early 22-12 second quarter lead.
White called timeout searching for a spark.
Out of the break, point guard Alex Lopez grabbed an offensive rebound, drove, and made the hoop with the harm. The juniors free throw to complete the three-point play started a 13-0 run for Montezuma-Corez.
After trailing most of the game, the Panthers appeared angry. Jay Rainer, Destry Smith and Devin Fox channelled their anger into points. M-CHS regained the lead at 25-22 late in the second.
San Juans Isaac Marley snuck down low for a layup to stop the Panthers run and cut the score to 25-24 at halftime. But momentum had shifted to the home team.
So the home fans thought.
To start the third quarter, Christensen sparked an 8-0 Broncos run with back-to-back baskets. Now San Juan was back in front for good at 30-25. Two Lopez assists to Smith stopped the run, but the Broncos answered with two buckets of their own to lead 34-29. The Panthers deficit grew to 42-30 at the end of a sloppy third quarter. M-CHS was out-scored 18-5 during the frame.
We come into the second quarter with that run, and then come out flat in that third quarter and they just kind of jumped on us, White said.
Lopez tried to spark his team again in the fourth with another dish to Smith. He came back the next possession with a coast-to-coast driving layup to pull the Panthers within eight at 42-34.
The score later read 45-36. It looked like M-CHS would get closer after Fox stole the ball and found Smith wide open on a fast break. With the crowd ready to erupt, Smiths driving layup was rejected from behind by San Juans Ammon Mitchell. The Broncos quickly converted the turnover into points on the other end for a 47-36 lead.
The Panthers scored the next six points to cut the margin to five at 47-42. Lopez assisted Smith and made two free throws on the run. But M-CHS couldnt get any closer than five points in the final three minutes.
The loss concludes nonconference play for the Panthers.
We cant really start off flat like we did. We got to put a game together, Lopez said. Thats what we need to work on in practice. We need to pick up the intensity, and come at it every game from here on out and put a full game together. Hopefully, we do that in the league.
Lopez had 11 points, four assists, one steal and one block. Smith scored 12 points and recorded five steals. Fox poured in 11 points, while Rainer grabbed 11 rebounds.
All four of Lopez assists were to Smith.
I just try to make my teammates better. Just give them the ball and let them do their thing, Lopez said. Weve been playing together now for a while. Our whole team, especially.
Christensen had a game high 16 points for San Juan. Meyer scored 14.
M-CHS will begin 5A/4A Southwestern League play on Friday and Saturday at Grand Junction Central and Montrose at 7 and 1:30 p.m.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.