The Glendale Vaqueros earned their first victory of the season Thursday night, holding off Copper Mountain 62–57 behind a dominant first half and a breakout scoring performance from Brandon Blair.
Glendale exploded out of the gate, locking in defensively and limiting Copper Mountain to just 18 first-half points. The Vaqueros controlled the pace early, moved the ball well, and knocked down outside shots to build a 33–18 lead at halftime. Although Copper Mountain mounted a strong second-half push, Glendale maintained composure and closed the game at the line and on the defensive end.
Blair was the story of the night, putting up a remarkable 35 points while shooting efficiently from both the field and the perimeter. Whenever Glendale needed a bucket to halt Copper Mountain's momentum, he delivered.
Alongside him, Omree Bentov came up big on the boards and added clutch scoring inside and out, finishing with 15 points and 9 rebounds. Myles Wainwright made a major impact without scoring the ball, leading the team in playmaking and securing 8 rebounds and 6 assists, while also providing defensive pressure with two steals.
Glendale also benefited from timely contributions across the lineup. Hunter Smith knocked down a pair of threes, Armen Darakchyan added important rebounding presence, and the bench provided energy and hustle during key stretches—including a momentum-boosting three from Joshua Ballard.
Despite shooting just 30.9% from the field, Glendale's early defensive intensity, rebounding effort, and perimeter shooting (10 made threes) proved decisive. The Vaqueros improve to 1–2 on the season and will look to build on this gritty win as they continue their non-conference slate.