Entering the 2013-14 season with a young team, just how good the Dove Creek High School Bulldogs basketball team is a bit unclear.
But if opening weekend provides an indication, they should be competitive.
BULLDOGS RUN PAST
DEBEQUE
Opening the Bulldog Classic tournament at home against DeBeque on Dec. 6, the Bulldogs utilized fast breaks and rebounds to secure a 48-39 victory.
After a first quarter that saw the Bulldogs pull ahead 10-8, DeBeque began to struggle with Dove Creek’s pressure defense, falling behind 26-15 at the half.
Keying the Bulldogs’ second-quarter run was the defense of sophomore Jordan Ernst, who recorded many of his game-high nine steals.
“(Ernst) definitely picked the team up on defense,” said coach Curtis Garver. “He’s tough to get around.”
The Bulldogs extended their lead to 38-25 at the end of three quarters in route to the 48-39 victory.
Big offensive contributors for the Bulldogs included Ernst with 16 points, sophomore Spencer Gatlin with 15 points and sophomore Kyle Schultz with 10 points.
BULLDOGS FALL
TO MANCOS
Throughout each quarter, the Bulldogs hung tough, yet ended up on the wrong end of the scoring, trailing 11-9 after the first, 26-21 at the half, 37-32 after three and 50-38 at the buzzer.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was senior Taylor Hankins, who tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Ernst scored 13 points and registered five assists.
“I was happy with the way that they played,” said Garver. “They played better than the night before. If we just had a few more shots fall, we would have been right there with them.”