The Glenwood Springs Demons proved they can win big last Saturday (they won by 21) but on Tuesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Palisade and snuck past 48-46. Winning may never get old, but Glenwood Springs sure is getting used to it with their third in a row.
Leading Glenwood Springs to victory were Sim Wenger and Alec Claassen. Wenger scored 16 points along with six rebounds and two steals, while Claassen scored 19 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Wenger has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last six times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cale Sollars, who scored six points along with two steals.
Palisade's loss came despite strong showings from LJ Ballenger and Hunter Howard. Ballenger scored 15 points, while Howard scored 12 points along with seven rebounds. Another player making a difference was Layne Ruppelius, who scored five points along with three steals.
Glenwood Springs has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-10 record this season. As for Palisade, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-12 record this season.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Glenwood Springs will take on Battle Mountain at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. Hopefully Glenwood Springs is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Battle Mountain in Colorado (Glenwood Springs is ranked 93rd, while Battle Mountain is ranked 279th). As for Palisade, they have the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome Eagle Valley at 7:00 p.m. on February 13th. Hopefully Palisade focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 13 on Tuesday.
