Gilpin boys just short of first win

By Scott Fuller

1/20/05 - The Gilpin County boy’s basketball team might rightly be considered the worst team in their league. Winless, and having been outscored by opponents by an average margin of 25-54 over the course of this season, the Eagles still showed their fans Tuesday night that it’s never too late for a turnaround – even in a loss.

  Gilpin did lose a closely-contested game to visiting Brighton Charter 34-44 Tuesday night before an enthusiastic crowd at Gilpin County High School. The loss was made the most memorable of the season, though, because of the game’s first 3 ½ quarters. For the first time in more than six seasons, the Eagles maintained a constant lead in a game for more than 33 minutes. The last time any Gilpin boy’s team accomplished a similar run was at the conclusion of its 1999 season, when a young Gilpin team held a slim lead over Maranatha Christian in the first round of the District 8 playoffs until the three minute mark.

  The Eagles opened on a 9-2 run in the game’s opening six minutes, helped with four from Neal Gillivan. Momentum shifted to Brighton late in the first, but Gilpin was able to maintain its composure leading to a 14-8 lead after the first quarter. The Eagles were outscored in the second, but held on to a 20-16 halftime lead.

  Crucial to past success for the Eagles has been the ability to come out strong in the second half, and the team’s defense answered the call, holding what should have been a very potent Hawk offense to just six points in the third quarter. Absent from the floor after leaving the locker room, though, was the Eagle offense. Coach Chris Wright’s fast-paced offense which had been so effective in taking the Hawks off guard in the first half began to backfire, resulting in turnovers and a slim 27-24 lead entering the fourth quarter.

  Gilpin finally sacrificed its first lead of the game with 3:42 remaining in the game following a brief 4-2 Gilpin run to begin the quarter. The Eagles didn’t fold, however, and rallied for its own two-point lead on a pair of separate occasions before relinquishing its last advantage at the 1:45 mark. Jared Kennedy hit a short runner in the lane with 1:30 to go, bringing the Eagles back to within three just before the Hawks ran away with the game. Brighton Charter finished off a 9-3 closing run over the game’s final two minutes, as Gilpin was forced to foul in order to regain possession after using its final timeout. A pair of last-minute three point attempts from Neal Gillivan missed their mark, and the Eagles lost after suffering a 90-second scoring drought to end the game.

  Perhaps the story of the game for both teams was the general ineffectiveness of Brighton Charter senior center Aaron Schissler, who averaged 20.1 points per game entering into Tuesday night’s contest, but was held to a mere 13 by the Gilpin defense. The Eagle forwards doubled Schissler whenever possible, and scrapped just enough to throw the 6-foot-3 big man off his game. In fact, six of Schissler’s 13 came in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter when the Gilpin defense began to falter.

  Regardless of the effort in Tuesday night’s game, the Eagles remain winless on the season. They’ll attempt to break the streak during a two-game homestand, in which they will host Denver Academy and Dayspring Christian in the coming week.