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Basalt owns rivalry weekend vs. AHS

Steve Benson
Aspen Times Staff Writer

Ben Pollock’s buzzer-beating basket for Basalt didn’t have much impact on their 53-41 victory over Aspen Saturday night at AHS, but it seemed like a fitting finish to a contest that held no breaks for the Skiers.

Most of the game was close before the Longhorns pulled away in the fourth quarter, and Aspen’s head coach Steve Ketchum didn’t see any good in the loss.

“I’m embarrassed for our kids that they’re playing as poorly as they are,” Ketchum said. “We can’t pass, catch, dribble, shoot or play defense.



“I don’t have any answers right now.”

But a trio of Skiers had no trouble finding the basket, especially junior Ben Strasbourger, who sunk four three-pointers on his way to a team-high 14 points.




Moss Schermerhorn, a senior, had 13 points, and senior Aaron Parada had 10.

But Basalt was overwhelming, scoring with ease at times and swarming the Skiers on defense.

“We were able to contain them pretty well and stop them in the inside,” Basalt head coach Michael Green said.

Offensively, the Longhorns’ Adam Gawrys, a senior, and Darren Duroux, a sophomore, stole the show. The pair, both listed at 6-foot-3, accounted for 32 of Basalt’s 53 points, with Gawrys leading the way with 17.

“We had good play from a lot of different people,” Green said. “Adam [Gawrys] had a great game, and everybody answered the bell.”

Green said Aspen presented a challenge with their solid, inside play on offense.

“I was proud of [our] kids, they were very intense,” Green said. “They didn’t give them a lot of opportunities.”

Green said he told his players to buckle down and focus in the fourth quarter.

“The kids did a great job of controlling the tempo along those lines at the end of the game,” Green said. “It was one of those games that went back and forth, but we answered the challenge more often than they did.”

Aspen, which lost to Eagle Valley on Friday night, fell to 4-6 overall and 2-3 in Class 3A Western Slope League play.

Basalt lost to Cedaredge by a basket to open its weekend Friday night, and Green was pleased with how his team bounced back.

“Especially against Aspen,” Green said. “It’s a good rivalry ” our kids respect them and vice versa.”

Basalt improved to 3-5 overall and 3-2 in the league.

Basalt travels to Eagle Valley on Tuesday night while the Skiers host Olathe Friday night.