MEEKER I A poor shooting night and too many turnovers cost the Cowboys basketball team their last game of 2012 as they fell to visiting Snake River last Wednesday in Meeker 55-38. The Cowboys next action will be in 2013 as they will travel to Hotchkiss on Jan. 11 to play the Bulldogs. Hotchkiss has dropped down from 3A into the 2A league this year after an absence, so this will be the Cowboys first look at them for some time.
Jeremy Musgrave and Scott Smith paced the Cowboys scoring with four points each early on as the ‘Pokes jumped out to a first quarter lead by a 12-10 score. The second period wasn’t very kind to the hometown team as their shooting cooled off and the turnover bug hit them hard. Snake River was able to put up some quick scores, and combined with a trio of three pointers overtook Meeker in the second with a 21-8 quarter. For the Rattlers, Conner and Grayson Lee along with Garrett Grieve posted points for the visitors and Meeker found themselves behind at halftime 31-20.
The Cowboys kept pace with the Rattlers in the third quarter as neither team could outdistance the other. Raul Lopez counted for four of the Cowboys ten in the quarter, but Meeker was still behind after three quarters 41-30. The fourth quarter wasn’t much better for Meeker as the Cowboys could only muster eight points, four each by Musgrave and Lopez. Meanwhile the Lees and Grieve kept up the pressure and scored 12 of their teams 14 final quarter points. Final score ended 55-38 in favor of the Rattlers. For the night the Cowboys turned the ball over 21 times and their shooting from the arc was a bleak zero for 15. Meeker (2-2) will be off until after the Christmas Break .