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Moffat County girls edge out Elizabeth, 75-60, in Steamboat Springs Shootout

Bulldog boys bedeviled by Eagle Valley in 58-46 loss

Andy Bockelman
Moffat County High School's Katia Voloshin (40) drives to the basket as teammate Mattie Jo Duzik keeps opponents out of her way during the girls varsity basketball team's opening game of the Steamboat Springs Shootout Thursday night. The Lady Bulldogs netted their first win of the season
Andy Bockelman

Steamboat Springs — Some — Some Moffat County High SchoolMoffat County High School varsity basketball players were more on-target than others Thursday night, but hey — it’s a three-day event, and there’s time for all to improve. varsity basketball players were more on-target than others Thursday night, but hey — it’s a three-day event, and there’s time for all to improve.

— Some Moffat County High School varsity basketball players were more on-target than others Thursday night, but hey — it’s a three-day event, and there’s time for all to improve.

The MCHS girls enjoyed their first win of the season when they took down the Elizabeth Cardinals 75-60, to begin the first of a series of three games in the 17th annual Steamboat Springs Shootout.

Though the Cards, now 0-3, leapt out to a 7-0 lead, the Lady Bulldogs took little time catching up and surpassing them, tied at 9 in a matter of minutes, and when Leah Camilletti sunk the second of three first quarter three-pointers, Moffat County got in front and stayed there the rest of the evening.



“That first half, we shot outside a lot, so in the second, Morgan (Lawton) was open inside a lot,” Camilletti said.

Coach Sam McLeod was able to play his entire varsity roster in a game that saw Camilletti net 24 points, fellow senior Lawton 19 and junior Mattie Jo Duzik 13.



Senior Kayla Pinnt had eight points, including four of four free throws, while senior Katia Voloshin had seven and junior Josey King four.

The offense was spectacularly balanced, McLeod said, though defense was not as efficient as it could have been.

“We definitely didn’t play our brand of basketball, made some silly mistakes,” he said. “It wasn’t an effort thing, just a mental thing.”

Elizabeth coach Jaime Schmalz said the Cardinals were hindered by the neutralization of one of their best players, senior Jordan Speicher, who hit the floor early in the game and had reduced playing time as a precaution.

Still, the result likely would have been the same, she said.

“Moffat County has a lot of great athletes, great weapons,” she said.

The opening win of the year after a narrow loss early in the week feels great, said Lawton and Camilletti, the team now 1-1 and ready for more.

Another team hungry for a triumph early in the schedule were the boys of Eagle Valley, taking the MCHS boys by surprise, beating the Bulldogs, 58-46.

The 1-3 Devils started slowly, behind the Dogs, 15-11, after one quarter, making their move late in the second as junior Arturo Loera drained back-to-back outside shots to push the Gypsum squad past Moffat County, the half ending 25-24.

The third quarter only got tougher, with Eagle Valley getting points in the paint and Bulldog shooters not having much luck, the quarter concluding 41-34.

The Dogs looked to have gotten their MoCo mojo back early in the fourth, bringing the score to within one at 45-44, but a full-court press wasn’t helping MCHS score, whereas the Devils kept their shooting solid to close out the game with a comfy cushion of points against the Bulldogs, now 1-2.

The victory is a relief for Eagle Valley, which went 0-20 last season, one of their losses a 58-15 defeat by the Bulldogs in the Shootout last year. The game snaps a 26-game losing streak that’s affected the 4A school since February 2014.

“It’s nice to get that under their belt; they’re really coming along,” said first-year coach Chris Wells. “They made some good pushes to keep us in the driver’s seat.”

Some Moffat County players are still adjusting to the varsity level, senior Dylan Kincade said.

“It’s a different tempo, and it’s a whole new game for them,” he said of some his less experienced teammates. “We just didn’t have that energy.”

Kincade led scoring with 19 points, followed by seniors Ben Robinson and Dusty Taylor, each with eight. Junior Keenan Hildebrandt and sophomore Bronc Hellander both had four, while senior Kody Fief notched three.

The Thursday performance is something coach Eric Hamilton hopes not to see again.

“That was a poor game for us all around,” he said. “I didn’t make good adjustments, and Eagle Valley played really well, that’s about all.”

In Day 2 of the Steamboat tournament, Moffat County girls will play Prairie View at 4:30 p.m., and the boys will face off with the hosting Sailors at 7:45 p.m. today.

Hamilton said he hopes to see his guys more patient on offensive and more consistent on defense, though there’s not much of a chance to prepare.

“We don’t have time to screw around,” he said.

Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Sports.Contact Andy Bockelman at 970-875-1793 or abockelman@CraigDailyPress.com or follow him on Twitter @CDP_Sports.


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