The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate boys’ basketball team beat Salida 73-52 behind a 30-point third quarter on Saturday, Dec. 13.
Despite a slow start, the Pirates were able to turn it up, coming out of the halftime locker room en route to their blow out win.
“I didn’t realize that was happening during the game; I didn’t even see it until after the game,” said coach Brandon Forster when talking about the Pirates’ 30-point third quarter. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been around that, so getting these guys banded together was big for us.”
Despite starting slower than Forster would have liked, the Pirates still held a 15-8 lead after the first quarter. The Spartans were able to hang around in the second quarter and the Pirates went into halftime with a 30-23 lead.
Forster noted he reminded his guys to just stay consistent at halftime — to not get too high or too low.
The Pirates’ idea of consistency was doubling their first half score in the third quarter and opening up a 21-point lead. Forster credited the offensive outburst to the spark provided off the bench by junior Duke Ketchum.
Ketchum brought energy to the floor as soon as he checked in, which proved to be a big shift in the quarter, Forster noted.
The Pirates closed out the game by scoring 13 in the fourth quarter and winning 73-52.
Three Pirates scored in double-figures.. Jeremiah Jones led the Pirates in scoring with 19 points, Creede Dozier added 15 points, and Ketchum had 13 points for the Pirates off the bench, missing only one shot all game. Ty Richey put up eight points, Kaison Limebrook added seven, Bode Hubbard contributed five, Jerry Dean had four and Koen Pitcher put up two.
The team shot 71 percent from the free-throw line, making 12 of 17 attempts.
Jones also led the team in rebounds with nine. Dozier and senior Bode Hubbard each added seven rebounds. The team pulled down 34 total rebounds.
The Pirates will be traveling to Montrose later this week for the Black Canyon Classic.
There, the 4A Pirates will face off against the 5A Montrose Red Hawks, who are 3-3, on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m.; the 5A Glenwood Springs Demons, who are 2-4, on Friday, Dec. 19, at 4 p.m.; and then the 5A Pueblo Central Wildcats, who are 5-1, at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.
Forster emphasized that Montrose and Glenwood Springs will both play similar styles of basketball, but Montrose has some bigger guys on the team that they have to prepare for specifically on defense.
Pueblo Central will come out and press all four quarters, so the Pirates will be preparing to face a full game of pressure as well, noted Forster.
“These tournaments early in the season, I enjoy them because it’s a measuring stick to see where you are,” Forster said.
The Pirates have a big week of practice ahead of them as they prepare for the tournament this weekend. Once the team arrives in Montrose, Forster noted they will try and find gym space to practice in, but will mostly rely on film sessions, walk-throughs and mental preparation in order to be ready throughout the tournament. Regardless, preparation time will be limited and the Pirates will have to navigate these games with limited practice time.
“As a coach, you want as much prep time as you can get, but sometimes it’s good to challenge the team when you don’t really have that prep time,” said Forster. “You know, what are we going to do? Who would be in those moments?”
jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com
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