Cowboys open district with win

MEEKER — The Cowboys started the district basketball tournament in convincing style last Saturday with a lopsided 88-35 victory over the West Grand Mustangs in Meeker for the first round of the playoffs.
Meeker will host the District 5 final four Friday and Saturday for both the boys and girls.
In last Saturday’s game, the Cowboys were never threatened. Although the Mustangs scored opening baskets, Meeker dictated the scoring tempo.
Mitch Jacob, Brock Campbell, and Ryan Wix led the Cowboys in the first stanza to a 28-11 lead. Jacob and Campbell accounted for a pair of three-pointers each, while Wix scored six points working inside the paint.
In the second period, Meeker flexed their defensive muscle and shut down West Grand’s offense, allowing the Mustangs four total points in the quarter while scoring 16 for a 44-15 halftime lead.
Senior Brian Crowe led the scoring for the Cowboys with eight points, Jacob kept his steady scoring with six points and Jake Nieslanik counted the other points in the quarter.
With the game essentially out of reach for the Mustangs, Meeker lengthened its lead in the third scoring another 28 while holding the visitors to only 13. Again, Jacob’s seven points led the scoring while Tyrel Gerloff and Colton Brown scored six and five, respectively.
Meeker had lengthened its lead to 42 points and a 72-28 lead heading into the final quarter. All of the Cowboy team saw action during the game as the younger squad played most of the final quarter and finished the game going away for the Cowboys with a final 88-35 score.
Jacob led Meeker scorers with 23 followed by Campbell and Crowe with 11 each, and Gerloff and Brown with 10 apiece.
Meeker will now host the semifinals and finals of the District 5 tournament starting Friday. By virtue of their victory Saturday over Soroco, Rangely will be the Cowboys’ next opponent in the tournament. Meeker won the first meeting with Rangely two weeks ago by a 69-43 score in Meeker.
With the new format, all four remaining teams – Meeker, Rangely, Plateau Valley and Hayden – will all advance to a regional tournament. Games this weekend will decide who goes where in the regional brackets.
First- and third-placers will go to Grand Junction, the second-place team will travel to Durango, and the fourth-place team will trek across the mountain to Denver.
Game summary
Meeker 28 16 28 16 – 88
West Grand 11 4 13 7 – 35
Jacob 6-3-2-2-23, Brown 4-0-2-5-10, Nieslanik 3-0-2-2-8, Gerloff 5-0-0-1-10, Steiner 2-0-0-0-4, Campbell 1-3-0-0-11, Crowe 1-3-0-0-11, Matrisciano 1-0-0-0-2, Kilduff 0-0-1-2-1, Wix 4-0-0-1-8 Totals 27-9-7-13-88
Gore 1-2-1-2-9, Flannigan 0-0-1-4-1, Klotz 1-0-0-0-2, Sabados 1-0-0-0-2, Wilson 0-0-1-2-1, Handyside 3-2-0-1-12, Miller 1-0-0-0-2, Smith 1-1-1-2-6 Totals 8-5-4-11-35