The Basalt High School boys basketball team pushed Cedaredge to the limit Friday night.

The Longhorns, looking for their first victory, stormed back in the fourth quarter before falling to the Bruins, 37-34.

“The boys played really good defense,” first-year Basalt head coach Danny Martinez said. “I was really happy to see them play this hard.”

The Basalt coach said the Longhorns struggled with their shooting early in the first game after the holiday break.

“We couldn’t hit the ocean in the first two quarters,” Martinez said. “Then we started playing .. better. But defense kept us in the game.”

He said after the furious rally, the Longhorns had the ball with 3 seconds left.

But they had to go the length of the court with Cedaredge ahead by the final 37-34 margin.

Basalt trailed 25-16 entering the final quarter.

Noah Schoenberger led the Basalt boys with 13 points in the Friday night game.

“All of the boys played hard. I was really proud of them,” Martinez said. “This (close) game is really good for us.”

The Longhorns (0-5, 0-3) will get right back on the court today with a game at Coal Ridge (New Castle/Silt). The Titans (2-4, 2-2) lost a 47-41 decision at Aspen on Friday night.

In girls basketball on Friday night, Cedaredge rolled past the winless Longhorns, 72-13.

Cedaredge is 5-2, 3-1 in league thus far this seson.

The Basalt girls (0-4, 0-2) will travel to Coal Ridge (6-1, 4-0) for another game today.

The Coal Ridge girls beat Aspen, 61-17, on Friday night at Aspen High School

dstrode@aspentimes.com