These two were all about defense — or the lack of any.

On Friday night, the two Summit varsity basketball teams hosted Delta at home and came away winless in both games. The boys lost 46-61 after starting strong, while the girls lost 41-65 after doing the same. Things didn’t get any prettier on Saturday, when both teams traveled to Palisade and lost two more to the 4A Western Slope league leaders. The boys were outscored by nearly double, 33-65.

In both Friday matches the Tigers simply couldn’t stop the fast and accurate Delta forwards, but hey, at least the Panthers were just as weak protecting in the paint. These games were shootouts, and Summit came up short when the final hoops were tallied. But hey, at least they were finding the basket — most of the time.

The boy’s team opened its game on a promising note, staying neck and neck with the Panthers (6-5 overall) to end the first quarter just behind Delta, 14-13. Then things fell apart. In the second quarter, the Tigers scored all of six points while Delta kept chugging along with another 14.

It was the kind of hole the Tigers couldn’t climb out of, despite valiant efforts from leading scorer Jesus Moya and a slate of other (usually more quiet) players: senior David Reifsteck, junior Sam Hull and sophomore Turner McDonald. It also didn’t help that three separate players drew technical fouls near the end of the first half. Even though Delta only picked up two of six free throws, the momentum was shifting and everyone seemed frustrated.

The team has struggled to find a consistent rhythm all season and the Delta game was no different. After the six-point second, the team recouped by scoring 27 points in the final half. But, again, it wasn’t quite enough, especially when the defense couldn’t stop layup after layup from Delta. The team had just one three-pointer in the second half and still managed to score 33.

The Tigers have also struggled to maintain possession this season. Moya had a few steals for breakaway baskets, but they were too far and few between. At one point early in the fourth, Delta held onto the ball for nearly a full minute between smart passing and authoritative rebounds. They ended the drive with one of two free throws on a foul. When the Tigers finally got the ball, they held it for less than 10 seconds before losing a rebound.

The Summit boy’s team is now 1-10 overall and 1-4 in the 4A Slope. The girl’s team is 4-7 overall and 0-5 in the league. The two next take on Glenwood Springs on Jan. 21, girls at home and boys away.