Lutz leads JV Grizzlies in home-opener

ASC improves 33 points in just five days against OJC

Brandon Lutz finished with a game-high 24 points. He also added nine rebounds

Box Score

ALAMOSA, Colo.— Sophomore guard Brandon Lutz (Colorado Springs, Colo.) nailed five 3-pointers while scoring a game-high 24 points as the Adams State College junior varsity men’s basketball team put up a tremendous fight against Otero Junior College before falling 89-78 in what was the Grizzlies’ home opener, Wednesday night here in Plachy Hall.

The final scoreline was an impressive 33-point improvement for the young Grizzlies, who had fallen by an 89-45 score to the Rattlers in La Junta, Colo. just five days earlier in their first game of the season.

OJC, now 6-1 on the season, received 18 points from Wes McKenzie and 14 more from Josh Pleasant to claim the win.  Dylan Fritsch chipped in 13 points to aid the cause as well.

Lutz tallied 20 of his points in the second half alone as he hit back-to-back treys in the opening minute of the second half slicing what was a 40-33 Rattler lead at the break to just one.

OJC would build the lead back to 11-points before another 6-0 Grizzly run made the score 61-56.

Leading 68-59 just over a minute later, the Rattlers then exploded for a 15-1 run to build a 23-point lead on a Fritsch 3-pointer.

The Grizzlies then outscored the Rattlers 18-6 the rest of the way.

The Grizzlies were held to a 26.7 percent (8-30) in the first half but were a respectable 16-for-39 (41.0 percent) in the second half.  The Rattlers also heated up hitting 54.3 percent (19-35) of their field goal attempts in the second half after hitting at a 40.0 percent (12-30) clip in the first.

However, the Rattlers were just 19 of 40 (47.5 percent) from the free throw line, helping the Grizzlies stay close.

Grizzly redshirt freshman Colby Joe Hunt (Alamosa, Colo.), who was playing his fifth game in the last six days, including the Grizzlies’ varsity season opener at Northern New Mexico on Tuesday, had a game-high 10 rebounds.  He also had eight points and six assists.  Lance Evans (Colorado Springs, Colo.) also played a solid game with 16 points and seven rebounds.

The Grizzlies, who played their first four games in six days, are now off for two-plus weeks before returning to the floor on Dec. 6 at Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College.

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