Roaring Fork boys basketball secures win on senior night

In a double-header matchup on Friday night, The Grand Valley Cardinals girls’ team etched their names in the history books with a perfect regular season after a win over the Roaring Fork Rams, while the Rams boys’ team staged a second half comeback to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Grand Valley girls dominate, finish undefeated

The Grand Valley girls’ team, led by senior Jaycee Pittman, capped off their regular season with a flawless record, defeating the Roaring Fork Rams in a game that highlighted their dominance.

The match began with a quick layup from Roaring Fork junior Carly Crownhart eight seconds into the game, but Pittman responded swiftly, signaling the competitive nature of the game early on.

Crownhart’s early efforts, including a basket that put Roaring Fork ahead 4-2, and a three-pointer from freshman Riley Bevington gave the Rams a 7-2 lead. However, Grand Valley quickly answered, with Pittman playing a pivotal role. Despite several turnovers by Grand Valley, they managed to take their first lead of the night, 8-7, with two minutes left in the first quarter, ending it with a 13-9 advantage.

The second quarter saw Grand Valley extend their lead, with notable performances from Chloe Gronewoller, who was perfect from the three-point line, and Pittman, who finished the first half with 16 points. The Cardinals’ defense stifled the Rams into a 25-11 halftime score. Roaring Fork attempted a comeback, doubling Pittman and narrowing the gap to nine points, but Grand Valley maintained their lead and finished the third quarter 32-20 ahead.

Roaring Fork won the fourth quarter but couldn’t overcome Grand Valley’s lead, with the game ending 42-36 in favor of the Cardinals. Pittman, averaging 19.5 points per game and leading in several categories highlighted the importance of Friday’s win. 

“This was a big game for us,” Pittman said. “We wanted to be able to continue this win streak and finish the regular season on a good note. Now we are just looking toward the playoffs and we are hoping to keep this momentum.”

Grand Valley coach Kermit Spencer expressed pride in his team’s achievement.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these girls,” Spencer said. “All season, you can see how hard these girls have worked and it has paid off. We aren’t going to let this undefeated season get to our heads though. We still have a lot of basketball to play.”

Roaring Fork boys rally to secure crucial win

The Roaring Fork boys’ team faced a must-win scenario against Grand Valley and delivered under pressure. The game kicked off with Grand Valley taking the initial lead, but Roaring Fork’s senior Noel Richardson quickly made his mark with a three-pointer, setting the tone for the Rams.

Despite a series of turnovers, Roaring Fork kept the game close, ending the first half trailing by a single point, 26-25. Richardson’s performance, including critical free throws, and sophomore Lucas Carballeria’s three-pointers in the second half were crucial in turning the tide in favor of Roaring Fork.

The Rams capitalized on 15 turnovers from Grand Valley as Richardson led the team to a 59-44 victory. 

“We count on each other,” Richardson said. “We are always preaching that we are playing for the person next to you. To get a win like this on senior night, it’s special, and we are excited to see where we go from here.”

Roaring Fork’s coach, Jason Kreiling, praised the team’s collective effort and timing.

“We have a talented squad and we just want to continue to feed the hot hand, and it can be anyone on any given night,” Kreiling said. “This is a young team and we have really started to find our chemistry, and what better time to do so than right now.”

As the Grand Valley girls’ team looks forward to the playoffs with an unbeaten record, the Roaring Fork boys are riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, with their eyes set on the postseason. Currently sitting at the No. 33 spot in the CHSAA RPI rankings, the Roaring Fork boys will hope to crack the top 32 during conference play to have a chance at the state tournament.