DOLORES – Bears fans might need to have their cardiologists on speed dial this winter.
The Dolores boys basketball team has put them through the whole spectrum of emotions in a roller‑coaster season that might take the Bears program to a place it hasn’t been in nearly a decade. Seeking their first regional appearance in seven years and their first winning record in nine seasons, the Bears took a major step toward both goals with a heart‑pounding 59–46 win over Ouray in The Den on Friday night.
Of their 18 games this season, Dolores (10–8, 5–3 3A/2A/1A SJBL) has played 12 contests decided by 13 points or fewer, entering their meeting with Ouray after a stretch of four straight games decided by one possession or overtime.
Their victory over the Trojans, which put Dolores in the driver’s seat for a top‑three league finish, felt lopsided by comparison, even though the final spread belied how tightly Friday night’s game actually played out. A three‑point barrage in the second and third quarters allowed the Bears to surge ahead in a track‑meet pace, then slow the game down late to preserve their advantage at the free‑throw line.
Junior Koby McClellan, who scored a career‑high 38 points in Dolores’ 75–62 win over Ouray in January, again led the way for the Bears, hitting four 3‑pointers and finishing with 19 points.
Classmate Owen Lowe added three 3‑pointers and 13 points, helping Dolores turn a 19–18 first‑quarter deficit into a 33–28 halftime lead. Junior Miles Brown scored seven, while senior Michael Rantz and sophomore Lane Johnson added six each as the Bears attacked the rim once Ouray focused on defending the perimeter.
Dolores’ defense also delivered, slowing a high‑octane Trojan offense. Ouray senior Cavan Pasak scored just two of his 10 points after the first quarter as Bears head coach Nick Traweek rotated pressure and traps to disrupt his rhythm.
“We were able to slow ourselves down on offense, then speed things up and play like your hair’s on fire on defense,” Traweek said. “It’s a tough thing to ask of the kids, but they were able to execute it tonight.”
Every Bear who dressed saw action and contributed in some fashion, either through scoring or by frustrating Ouray into one of its lowest point totals of the season.
“All twelve of our guys know their roles and can make good basketball decisions,” Traweek said. “This was a really good team effort.”
Dolores controlled the glass throughout the night, limiting Ouray to one opportunity on most possessions – a byproduct of the Bears’ physical approach in practice.
“We have a lot of really fun practices, working on battling for boards – we want to make our practices really tough so the games don’t feel as hard,” Traweek said. “We feel like we can beat anyone when we play like we did tonight.”
The Bears end the weekend ranked No. 27 in Class 2A and know that wins down the stretch will secure a spot in the field of 32 when CHSAA releases the state bracket in early March. Dolores visits Sargent on Thursday, Feb. 12, for its final nonleague matchup before closing with Dove Creek (Feb. 14), Nucla (Feb. 17 and Feb. 26), and Mancos (Feb. 19). Three wins in that span would give the Bears their first winning season since 2016–17.
