Basketball season has returned, and the Steamboat Springs boys opened the season 1-2 in a tournament in Montrose. 

Beginning the season last Thursday night against Eagle Valley, the boys fell 57-45. The team suffered a second loss the following night to Montrose, 47-31. 

The Sailors got back on track with a 53-27 victory over Weld Central to close out the tournament on Saturday, leaving the team with just a -2-point differential so far this season. 

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Next up for Steamboat is the team’s home tournament, the Steamboat Shootout, where it will play games Thursday through Saturday. The home opener will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against a Berthoud team that is still in search of its first win this season. 

Steamboat girls take momentum into home event

Similar to the boys, Steamboat Springs girls basketball needed time to heat up before earning its first win of the season on Saturday. 

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The girls suffered losses to Grand Valley and Roaring Fork at a Roaring Fork tournament last Thursday and Friday, but managed to storm back with a convincing 51-27 victory over Rifle on Saturday. 

Leading the charge in points for the Sailors so far are seniors Hailey Bender and Mahlet Vanblarcum. The pair each dropped 14 points against Rifle, with Bender pulling in seven rebounds and Vanblarcum drilling two shots from beyond the arc. 

The girls are energized to return home for the Steamboat Shootout, where they will also face Berthoud, though the Spartans’ female squad sits at 3-0 on the season compared to Berthoud boys. The girls game will immediately follow the boys and is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. 

Hayden boys struggle in basketball tournament opener

Opening the season at the Holiday Classic Tournament in Manila, Utah, Hayden boys basketball fell victim to each of its opponents over the weekend. 

Opening the season against American Heritage on Friday, the Tigers struggled on each end of the court, falling 88-12. Hayden managed to shrink that deficit significantly in Game 2 against Manila, dropping that game 57-28. 

The Tigers look to get things right on Friday night at the start of the West Slope Classic tournament in Rangely. The team is set to square off against Ouray at 3 p.m. 

Tigers girls hoops start season hot, 2-1

Opening the basketball season with the best record in Routt County, the Hayden girls are a sharp 2-1, winning their Friday and Saturday games of the Meeker Cowboy Shootout. 

The team started slow, suffering a 42-25 loss to a strong Battle Mountain team to open the season. The girls kept their composure and bounced back with a 21-16 overtime victory against Altamont. 

The Tigers closed out the tournament with a dominant 45-24 win over cross-county rival Soroco on Saturday. 

The girls are now faced with the Rangely Holiday Classic on Friday with a game against Dove Creek. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. 

Soroco boys in search of first win

The Soroco boys basketball team struggled in the season opening tournament at Sangre de Cristo High School. 

The team lost each of its three games in the tournament, falling to the hosting school, as well as La Veta and Creede. 

The boys have scored a total of 83 points in those three games, while relinquishing 183 points to their opponents. 

The team has an opportunity to earn its first win of the season at a tournament starting Thursday in hosted by Grand Junction’s Caprock Academy. Their first opponent has yet to be determined.

Soroco girls go 1-2 in Cowboy Shootout

Despite a rough start to the season — opening with a 53-16 loss to Middle Park in the first round of Meeker’s White River Electric Cowboy Shootout — the Soroco girls basketball team saw some strong points in tournament play. Friday night saw a dominant 55-20 victory over Lotus School for Excellence. 

The Rams followed their big win with a tough 45-24 loss to Hayden the next day, leading to a 1-2 record to begin the season. 

Soroco girls will also tip off at the Caprock Academy tourney, seeing Telluride at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.