Fort Collins holds Rocky Mountain to continue best start in more than a decade

Start with a string.

It’s a motivation tool, a goal to chase.

If the Fort Collins High School girls basketball team gets one string after another, good things happen.

What’s a string? It’s a lifeline for the Lambkins and a trip-wire for opponents.

A string for this team is what they call three or more defensive stops in a row.

The goal is to start each quarter with one. That sets everything else up.

One string after another is leading to something special.

Fort Collins held off Rocky Mountain for a 42-37 win Friday night at home and the Lambkins are now a perfect 11-0.

“It’s really fun. We haven’t had the best records in years past and I think we’ve been better than our record,” said senior Grace Sluss, who had six points and a couple game-clinching assists Friday. “It’s nice to finally show all the work we’ve put in.”

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More details from the win later, but first a bit of history.

Fort Collins picked up its 11th win (of 15 total) on Jan. 24 last season. Before that each season for the last decade it was into February before the Lambkins notched win No. 11.

The Lambkins won 17 games in 2012-13 and are on pace for their winningest season in the MaxPreps era (which dates back to 2006).

How has Fort Collins done it? Strings of defensive excellence. The Lambkins didn’t play the toughest nonconference schedule, but they didn’t let anyone challenge them.

Entering Friday, Fort Collins had by far the best scoring defense in Class 5A. That didn’t change against Rocky Mountain.

The Lambkins (11-0, 1-0 Front Range League) held Rocky Mountain (6-6, 1-2 FRL) to one field goal and nine points in the first half.

That allowed Fort Collins to build a double-digit lead. The offense sputtered in the second half as Rocky Mountain found its footing. Twelve points from Kiley Towne and 11 from Gabriella McDonald helped push the Lobos within a possession in the fourth quarter.

But Fort Collins held on. Delsie Johnson had timely buckets, scoring 13 of her game-high 16 in the second half. Evan Fischer and Isabel Layne hit their free throws and Fort Collins did enough to win again.

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The toughest tests of league play are yet to come, with the Lambkins hoping to challenge Horizon, Fairview, Legacy and Fossil Ridge for a league title.

The Lambkins haven’t given up more than 38 points in any game this season.

They’re hoping to string something really special together.

“We’re all super excited and pumped. We want to make a really good run in playoffs this year,” Johnson said. “We have a great talent level and our chemistry is so good together.”

Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle at twitter.com/Kevin_Lytle and at facebook.com/KevinSLytle.

FORT COLLINS 42, ROCKY MOUNTAIN 37

Rocky Mountain 6 3 14 14 — 37

Fort Collins 17 5 11 9 — 42

Rocky Mountain (6-6, 1-2 Front Range League) — Towne 12, McDonald 11, Bennett 5, Bowes 3, Siclair 2, Eccher 2, Warner 2.

Fort Collins (11-0, 1-0 Front Range League) — Johnson 16, Williams 9, Sluss 6, Layne 5, Fischer 3, Jones 3.