The starting lineup has been the heart and soul of the Manitou Springs boys basketball team this season, but in perhaps the most crucial time, the players have realized they can rely on the bench.
On Feb. 25, the Mustangs had a chance to come out of Florence with a Tri-Peaks district championship and even led No. 1 St. Mary’s at halftime, but they simply ran out of gas and lost 80-68.
They rebounded with a 50-44 win over Banning Lewis on Feb. 26 to officially take third place in the tournament.
In both games, key starters got into foul trouble and it was the bench that provided valuable minutes, keeping the Mustangs (13-9 overall) playing as well as they did.
“Friday night, I thought Tyler Maloney stepped up and did a really good job for us,” coach Brian Vecchio said. “Then we turn around on Saturday night with a sophomore in Nate Gentzel, who went out and scored seven points for us and was solid defensively.”
Their play complements the team’s sixth man, Davis Mack. Since the loss to Florence, Mack has relished his role of coming off the bench and giving the team a boost when they need it. He knocked down some key shots in both games that kept Manitou within arm’s reach of St. Mary’s and also ahead of Banning Lewis.
“A lot of guys like me and Nate have been able to come in and fill roles,” Mack said. “It’s been great to be able to help out the team.”
His help will be needed as the Mustangs head to Loveland and Resurrection Christian for a showdown with Middle Park in the Class 3A boys basketball state tournament’s first round. The Mustangs are the No. 22 seed and the Panthers come into the tournament at No. 11.
Since seeing the bracket on Sunday morning, Vecchio has been diving into prep work to give his guys the best chance he can to make the trip to Loveland more than a one-game event.
“I think we have a pretty good draw,” Vecchio said. “We need to have a good week of practice and see what we can get done.”
With the way the team has scored lately, he’s not overly concerned about the offensive output. Andrew Rhodes and Lairden Rogge shot the ball well in districts and John Maynard has done a great job attacking the basket.
The work will really come into play on the defensive side of the ball as the Mustangs will need to slow down the Panthers.
“They play hard and quick,” Vecchio said. “Their style of play is a four-out motion kind of deal. We just have to make sure we do a good job defensively.”
If they can slow down Middle Park and win the game, the Mustangs would see the winner of Resurrection Christian and Fort Lupton on Saturday, March 5.
The Mustangs reached the semifinals in last year’s state tournament but games were played at home sites up until the state title games. The last time they advanced to the 3A Great 8 in a 32-team bracket was 2017.