After falling to Bayfield on Tuesday, the Mancos Blue Jays (3-7) continued to slide, losing to Norwood (8-4) on Thursday and Ridgway (8-2) on Saturday.
The Blue Jays got out a good start in Thursday’s home game against the Mavericks – leading 15-11 at one point in the first quarter – and started the second trailing by just one, 16-15.
But in the second quarter, the Mavericks used their size advantage and got the ball inside to 6-foot-2 junior Kade Brantingham and 6-foot-1 senior Brady Barkemeyer.
Brantingham scored nine points in the quarter, Barkemeyer added six to give Norwood a 34-24 lead at half.
The Mavericks continued to exploit the Blue Jays inside in the third quarter – with Brantingham scoring 10 – to start the fourth with a 54-32 lead.
“We were trying to front him the whole time in the second half,” Mancos head coach Rodney Cox said after the game. “But we just didn’t execute very well.”
Brantingham scored 32 points on the evening, and Barkemeyer finished with 16. The Mavericks went on to win, 70-47.
The Blue Jays were led by Adrian Hernandez’s 13 points. Andrew Plunkett scored 11 for Mancos and Andrew Christensen added 10.
“I thought Adrian played an outstanding game,” Cox said. “His heart is huge, he never quits, he’s always aggressive, and he’s always in control.”
The Blue Jays followed Friday’s home game in Ridgway on Saturday.
The Demons jumped out to a 34-19 halftime lead and had five scorers in double-figures to take down the Blue Jays, 63-46.
Plunkett led Mancos with 20 points in the loss, and Christensen was the only other scorer in double-digits with 13.
The Blue Jays are back home on Tuesday in a rivalry game against the Dolores Bears (3-9).
