It’s always nice heading into a winter break with a win, and that’s what the Manitou Springs boys basketball team gets to experience after a 44-39 win over La Junta on Dec. 16.
The victory came at a much different pace than the Mustangs (3-3 overall, 1-0 Tri-Peaks) played at in last week’s road loss at Kent Denver. The Sun Devils pushed the tempo, and the Mustangs were able to dial it down a few days later and play at a pace that they’re more comfortable with.
“We just have to play the way we want to play,” coach Brian Vecchio said. “Some teams are going to try and take you out of that and some teams are going to try and speed it up.
“I think the nice thing is that we proved we can compete at Kent Denver, where there was almost 200 points scored, and we can win a game, where there’s less than 80 points scored. I’m proud of their effort.”
John Maynard set the scoring tempo at La Junta, scoring a team-high 13 points. Ethan Boren and Lairden Rogge each added eight and Davis Mack chipped in seven.
The Mustangs’ biggest challenge now is establishing some continuity with the lineup. For various reasons, the starting lineup has looked a little different with each contest, which can make it difficult for the players to get comfortable.
“It’s been a little hard with our lineup changes,” Rogge said. “We just have to figure out who can play at what speed and what speed is best for everyone.”
The Mustangs will have a bit of time to get that sorted out since they don’t play another game until Jan. 5, when they travel to James Irwin.
With varying players out with some injuries or other players making their way back from injury, Vecchio hopes to use this time to find what will work with this team and how to best utilize the players to make this team as efficient and successful as possible.
“We have to find a good rotation,” Vecchio said. “And we have to find some guys that can come in and make some plays and get some lift off the bench.
“If we’re able to do that going into league play I feel like we’ll have a shot to be successful.”