Basketball Recap: Owen Stiers' Big Game Can't Quite Lead Bennett over Fort Lupton

Bennett has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 48-46 heartbreaker at the hands of the Fort Lupton Bluedevils. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Tigers of the 66-46 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in February of 2024.

Several Tigers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Owen Stiers, who posted 14 points in addition to seven boards and four steals. Brody Hawes was another key player, going 5-for-6 en route to 12 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.

Even though they lost, Bennett was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Fort Lupton only five assists.

Javon Gonzales was his usual excellent self, going 9-for-22 on his way to 21 points in addition to seven steals and five assists for Fort Lupton. Gonzales is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed three or more in each of the last 11 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Garcia, who had 12 points and three steals.

Bennett's loss was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 16-5. As for Fort Lupton, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 14 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 17-4 record this season.

Tigers

Points

02/18/25 vs Fort Lupton	46
02/15/25 @ Highland	40
02/12/25 @ Lake County	75
02/06/25 vs Platte Canyon	93
02/03/25 @ Arvada	55
+ 16 more games

Bennett and Fort Lupton should be looking forward to their upcoming games as both have a sizable advantage in the MaxPreps Colorado Rankings. Bennett will take on Alameda at 7:30 p.m. on Monday up 230 places (101 vs. 331). Bennett is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 58.4 points per game this season. Meanwhile, Fort Lupton (ranked 58th) will meet Skyview (ranked 288th) at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Bennett will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive.