Routt Narrowly Loses 49-47 to Top-Ranked Quincy Notre Dame
Routt fell 49-47 to undefeated, No. 1 Quincy Notre Dame on Tuesday at the Routt Dome, dropping a heart-stopping game on a last-second lay-in. The performance — including a 20-point night from senior Bryson Mossman and an early 17-4 burst — showed Routt can compete with elite opponents and offered a boost to local pride despite the loss.
Routt hosted top-ranked Quincy Notre Dame on Jan. 7 and came within seconds of a major upset before Robbie Reed’s last-second drive produced a 49-47 victory for the Raiders. The loss came at the Routt Dome in Jacksonville and capped a game that saw Routt build an early edge, trade blows through the second quarter and force a final-possession finish.
Routt opened the contest with a 17-4 run and led 26-25 at halftime, pacing a defensive, low-possession game that kept scoring tight. Senior Bryson Mossman led Routt with 20 points and hit a three-pointer with 1:46 remaining that tied the score at 47-47. Quincy Notre Dame then ran down the clock before converting the winning layup as time expired.
Routt coach Will Whalen noted the week had been complicated by illness that left the team short-handed, and players rallied despite limited depth. The close scoreline against the undefeated No. 1 Raiders underscored both Routt’s resiliency and the margin for small mistakes in tightly contested matchups. Statistically, Mossman’s 20-point effort carried much of Routt’s offense; the team’s fast start and halftime lead showed its ability to establish tempo against an elite program.
For Morgan County, the game mattered on several levels. On the court, the narrow loss provides a measuring stick for Routt’s season ceiling: matching up with a top-ranked opponent and pushing the game to the final second suggests a competitive outlook as the schedule progresses. Off the court, marquee home games against high-profile opponents tend to draw larger crowds, support concession and nearby businesses, and strengthen community engagement with the school’s programs. A performance like Tuesday’s can energize fans and help maintain attendance and volunteer support that underpins local athletics.
Looking ahead, the Routt effort offers a blueprint: when healthy and executing its early-game strategy, the team can pressure elite opponents and create upset opportunities. The narrow defeat will sting in the short term, but the result and Mossman’s leadership give the program tangible momentum and a clearer sense of what depth and health will mean for its remaining games this season.
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