The Contenders and Project Mayhem braved the snow on Saturday night and headed down to Colorado Springs to take on the rapidly improving Pikes Peak Derby Dames. The 2015 Contenders team was officially formed just two days before the game and their lack of practice time together showed as the All-Star team from Pikes Peak jumped out to a 123-42 lead after about 20 minutes of action. Often playing with the Rocky Mountain jammer and multiple blockers in the penalty box, PPDD scored points in big chunks and by halftime had built the lead up to 104 points. A halftime check of the penalty board showed a decisive 25-to-12 difference in penalties was a big reason for the large disparity on the scoreboard.

The second half would prove that even just 30 minutes of time playing together as a team can make a big difference. With the addition of Frak Attak to the first half jammer rotation of Havoc, Major Lil Payne, Lady McMassacre, and Wild E. Coyote, the Contenders were able to cut the lead to 85 points early in the period. They outscored Pikes Peak 97-90 in the second half, but it wasn’t nearly enough to rebound from the slow start as the Pikes Peak All Stars took the win 255-158.

The second game of the night saw Rocky Mountain’s Project Mayhem take on the Slamazons from Pikes Peak in a game that was back-and-forth throughout. The Rocky Mountain “C Team” jumped out to an early 46-8 lead only to see the B-Squad from Pikes Peak go on a 96-24 run to end the half with a 104-70 lead. Pikes Peak held that same 34-point lead at 121-87 before a 36-0 run would give Mayhem its first lead of the second half. The game remained extremely close the rest of the way until a 25-0 power jam by Sharon Tacos gave the Rocky Mountain squad a 200-168 lead with just two minutes left in the game. Project Mayhem would ultimately hold on to win 209-191.