The Aspen Skiers had already won six in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.5 points), and they went ahead and made it seven on Tuesday. They managed a 45-41 win over Steamboat Springs. Given Aspen's advantage in MaxPreps' Colorado basketball rankings (they are ranked 26th, while Steamboat Springs is ranked 150th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Aspen's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Henry Hurd, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. Hurd also posted two+ blocks for the first time this season. Another player making a difference was Giovanni Seeman, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Steamboat Springs' defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jeffrey Sturges, who scored 14 points along with six rebounds. That was a full 34.1% of Steamboat Springs' points, marking the fifth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Brady Adams was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with three steals.
Even though they lost, Steamboat Springs were working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Aspen only racked up five assists.
Aspen pushed their record up to 9-1 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.0 points per game. As for Steamboat Springs, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 5-7.
Aspen will head out on the road to square off against Delta at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Steamboat Springs, they will be playing at home against Basalt at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Basalt focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 18 last Saturday.
