There wasn’t a soul inside the Bluejay Fieldhouse who wasn’t aware of the implications of the fever pitched clash between Mancos and Dove Creek.
As the San Juan Basin League’s two remaining unbeaten teams squared off with a league title hanging in the balance, the decibel level rose with each successive run.
Ultimately, the final run proved to be decisive, as Dove Creek rallied from a seven-point fourth quarter deficit and scored the game’s final 17 points in a 43-33 victory, giving the Bulldogs a clear path to their fourth consecutive San Juan Basin League crown.
In a game filled with physical play and fouls aplenty, the Bulldogs (10-2, 3-0 2A/1A SJBL) kept their cool down the stretch, leaning on the composed play of their upperclassmen, and the fourth quarter domination of senior Kylie Gatlin. She posted 11 of her game-high 21 in the 17-0 final flourish, reentering the game early in the fourth quarter after picking up her fourth foul late in the third.
Mancos (8-3, 2-1 2A/1A SJBL) used her absence as a springboard to increase their 28-26 lead, when Bluejays senior Quincy Montoya drained a 3-pointer – her final bucket on a 15-point night – to run the lead to 33-26 in favor of the home team.
With Bluejay Fieldhouse in rapture, Dove Creek seventh-year head coach Julie Kibel called for time, brought her captain back to the floor, and changed the game one final time. A string of buckets in the paint spurred the Gatlin-led charge, shortly after the senior’s game-tying triple knotted the contest at 33 midway through the fourth.
“She has the ability to go when she needs to go – she thrives on the competition. It’s genuine. When she went back into the game, she was ready to go take over,” said Kibel.
After testing one another with early body blows in the opening two quarters, resulting in a Dove Creek lead of 16-12 at halftime, the game’s tenor shifted in a testy third quarter full of fouls. A pair of Mancos threes from sophomore Claire Goodwin seized the momentum for the home team, while Montoya went to the line and drained five of six tries to put the Jays on the front foot.
Dove Creek’s offense, which struggled with tenacious interior defense from Mancos’ Teya Yeomans, got a couple of key buckets from senior Kalie Gatlin, who scored five of her seven points in the third period, along with layups from junior Ralynn Hickman and sophomore Taylor Hampton.
“I love games like this, physical and intense,” Hickman said after the game. “Basketball is such a mental game, and in practice we really focus on staying calm and push the ball when we need to.”
Mancos struggled to breakdown the Dove Creek zone, with sophomore Hadley Hatfield contributing to a strong night for the Bulldog defense.
“After the timeout (that started the 17-0 run), we really emphasized playing as a team, and also made sure that we were boxing out and taking care of the ball,” said Hickman.
At the night’s end, the Bulldogs could celebrate an eighth consecutive win in their rivalry series against Mancos, thanks to Hickman’s six, Hampton’s four, and senior Halee Beanland’s three points. Goodwin scored 16 to lead the Bluejays.
“Kalie and Kylie see the floor so well,” said Hickman of the twin sisters at the epicenter of another successful Bulldog season. “They let us know where we need to be, and I hope that’ll be something I’m able to continue to do with the younger girls after they (the Gatlin twins) graduate.”
The two teams meet again on Tuesday, Jan. 30 in Dove Creek for a highly anticipated rematch, albeit the second edition won’t alter the league standings. From there, Mancos begins another three-game home stand with matchups against Nucla (Feb. 1), Telluride (Feb. 3), and Pagosa Springs (Feb. 6) at Bluejay Fieldhouse. Dove Creek, meanwhile, preps for IML competition a visit to former SJBL foe Ignacio on Feb. 6 followed a day later with a home contest against Montezuma-Cortez.
