MANCOS – After weeks of searching for their identity, the Mancos girls basketball team seems to have cracked the code at the expense of every opponent in their path.
The Bluejays leaned on consistent defensive pressure to wear down visiting Dove Creek on their way to their fourth straight win, a nail-biting 33-30 victory Tuesday night that snapped a 13-game skid against the Bulldogs.
Second-year MHS head coach Julie Oliver has her system humming. Mancos collapsed on double-teams and jumped passing lanes, particularly in the paint, to frustrate the visitors. The Bulldogs posed an equally oppressive defense, making points precious and magnifying every scoring run.
Mancos (8-9, 6-4 3A/2A/1A SJBL) produced two of those runs in the first half to take the lead. The first came from freshman Tymbri Priestley and junior Chelsey Kramer, who scored three points apiece to give the Bluejays a 9-6 advantage after one quarter. Then, in the second quarter, sophomore Tinsley Aspromonte tallied all 11 of the team's points, heating up from the perimeter to counter Dove Creek senior Taylor Hampton’s six-point burst.
Up five at the break, Mancos saw its lead climb to eight at several points in the third and early fourth quarters. Even when the Bulldogs (12-8, 6-4 3A/2A/1A SJBL) closed within two thanks to a series of baskets from junior Mykaela Fury, the Bluejays ensured their edge never fully disappeared.
On Senior Night, Class of 2026 member Tyla Henry scored her lone basket, and classmate Destiny Kramer sank her fourth free throw of the night to help Mancos close it out. The MHS defense stymied the final Bulldog push, securing the program’s first win over Dove Creek since 2017.
“Our plan was to have me sag off and help guard Taylor (Hampton),” said Destiny Kramer. “And we wanted to make sure we slowed down our offense, worked the ball around, and made their defense tired.”
Aspromonte’s 16 points led all scorers, but balanced production proved key. Priestley and Chelsey Kramer each scored five, Destiny Kramer added four, Henry scored two, and senior Caylee Moore contributed a free throw.
In their four-game winning streak, offensive patience has been a focus. “We wanted to not be as spastic with our offense, and keep swinging the ball until we get a good shot,” Destiny Kramer said.
Fury scored eight of Dove Creek’s 15 second-half points and finished with nine overall. Hampton continued to inch toward 1,000 career points with a team-high 11. Senior Hadley Hatfield added a basket in each quarter for 10 points. Senior Ambrynn Huffaker created several steals with her quick hands, but the Bulldogs dropped their third straight.
“There’s a lot of emotion on a day like this, but we were able to keep our composure,” Kramer said, noting the intensity of Senior Night and her foul trouble. “We were able to hold it together all the way to the end. It’s nice to finally get a win against Dove Creek.”
Dove Creek closes the regular season with three home games: Ouray on Feb. 20; James Irwin in a nonleague matchup on Feb. 21; and Senior Night on Feb. 27 against Ridgway.
Mancos faces Center on Feb. 21 before finishing its regular season on the road at Telluride on Feb. 26.
