Spartans lose third straight, suffering a 63-51 defeat to Montbello.
Ray RIley soars through the atmosphere for an emphatic jam. file photo by Kevin Fleming
The slumping TJ Hoop Squad is hoping to catch fire before the playoffs, but time is running out. The Spartans lost to the Montbello Warriors Tuesday night by a score of 63-51- their third straight divisional loss in a row – and only one game (against West at home this Friday night) remains on the schedule. The loss sent the Spartans into second place in the 4A Denver Prep League standings with a record of 3-4.
Although TJ was competitive against Montbello throughout the game, inconsistency appeared to be a factor for the Spartan offense against the Warriors, only scoring six points in the first quarter and a dismal four in the third. On the other hand, TJ played well offensively in the second and fourth quarters, scoring 15 and 26 points respectively.
Even with the respectable offensive production in the second and fourth quarters, it looked to be one of those nights where the Spartan shots just wouldn’t fall. “We are in a rut and can’t seem to get any shots to go down. We have had a few low digit scoring quarters, and you can’t perform like that against good teams,” said Head Coach Grant Laman.
Billy Sprague was the leading scorer for TJ with 17 points and Ray Riley pitched in 12, but it wasn’t enough to put TJ on top.
The regular season finale will be at TJ against West on Friday, February 20th at 7 pm. This is the last chance for the Spartans to regain confidence before the playoffs and return to he State Championship caliber style of play they demonstrated throughout the beginning of the season.
