The visiting Miners led 15-10 after the first quarter and built a seven-point lead early in the second, but the Blue Jays roared back, scoring 21 points to lead at the half, 31-28.
The Jays got nine points from Ro Paschal in the first quarter, and in the second, used contributions from five players to push ahead.
Paschal scored another seven in the second frame, Caleb Yoder knocked down two early free throws, Adrian Hernandez knocked down a triple, Andrew Plunkett showed his range and hit a 3-pointer and scored seven, and Andrew Christensen chipped in two.
The Blue Jays relied on their sticky man-to-man defense in the second half. They also locked in on the defensive glass to limit second-chance opportunities and held the Miners to just 10 points.
“Those guys can score, and they can handle the ball,” Mancos head coach Rodney Cox said of Telluride. “So I’m really proud of them. And I think offensively, when you’re patient, you can rest and conserve some energy.”
“It was physical in there,” he said. “There were a lot of hard cuts and screens that were solid, so I’m really proud of them and what we did defensively.”
Scoring slowed in the third quarter, but the Jays were patient and efficient.
Griff Huver started the third with a drive and score, Plunkett knocked down his second 3-pointer, and Paschal scored six to increase the Jays’ lead to 44-35 to start the fourth.
And in the final frame, the Blue Jays held Telluride to just three points, scoring 10 of their own to win, 54-38.
“They were really patient tonight, and I was really pleased with that,” said Cox.
Friday’s win was the final regular season home game for seniors Plunkett, Hernandez, Christensen and Paschal.
“They’re a good bunch of seniors and great kids, and it was a good way to end it on their home court,” said Cox.
Mancos plays at Dolores on Friday, Feb. 19 and at Ouray on Saturday, Feb. 20.
