The Durango High School boys basketball team came up short against Cedaredge to start the Centauri Mountain Top Classic on Thursday, 54-51.
The two teams were tied 30-30 at halftime and, after a low-scoring third quarter, DHS had a slim 38-36 advantage.
Durango then went on a run to take a late lead.
“We got on a 9-0 run and were up by eight with three minutes to go,” said DHS head coach Alan Batiste. “We were getting turnovers and deflections.”
The coach said Zach Haber gave the team a spark that helped them go on the run.
“Haber came up huge for us on defense and pretty much shut down No. 10 (Luke Maxey) in the second half,” Batiste said. “Haber sparked the intensity of D, which was big time for us.”
While turnovers helped DHS take the late lead, they also hurt the Demons late in the game.
In Durango’s last seven possessions, Batiste said they turned the ball over five times, helping Cedaredge come back for the win.
“Turnovers just hurt us down the stretch,” Batiste said. “Cedaredge played hard and kept the pressure on us.”
The Demons also played without Anthony Flint and Luke Wesley.
“We were a little short-handed, but it gave opportunities for other kids to step up,” Batiste said, noting that they brought up a couple junior varsity players to fill in.
Dylan Bettin knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points to lead DHS. Jacob Neubert scored 14 points, and Tyler Harms added eight.
The Demons will be back on the court at 10 a.m. Friday against the loser of Rocky Ford and Centauri, who were scheduled to play at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Batiste said he’d like to see the Demons start the second-round game with the intensity it sometimes showed Thursday.
“It’s a work in progress,” he said. “Everyone is getting an opportunity.”
