Entering Friday’s first round matchup in the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 2A Region 1 Tournament, the Ignacio High School girls basketball team was riding on a wave that saw the Bobcats win 11 of its last 12 games which gave them the top seed.
But things changed quickly as Ignacio’s season was interrupted when the No. 8-seeded Custer County Bobcats won on a last second shot at the buzzer from Serenity Ham as Custer County won, 37-36.
With eight seconds left, and down 36-35, Custer County’s Taylor Staton brought the ball up court with Ignacio playing a 2-3 zone defense with full court pressure. Staton was able to split the defense and get the ball to Ham who was able to get off a 10-foot jump shot off before the sound of the horn, and consequently ending Ignacio’s season.
“This was a heartbreaker for us,” Ignacio head coach Shane Seibel said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “We’ll try and regroup and lick our wounds, but that’s how the cookie crumbles. My heart hurts for the girls and the program because they wanted this so much.”
Ignacio (17-5) started the game slow, but managed to go into halftime with a 21-13 lead. Ignacio looked like it was going to run away with the game when it fell into a good grove coming out of halftime, going up 34-26. That lead, however, quickly vanished in the fourth quarter
Missed layups and missed free throws let Custer County (9-12) back in the game as Ignacio also seemed foggy on defense at times.
Custer County capitalized on Ignacio’s missed opportunities down the stretch of the fourth quarter, and now will face No. 4 Sargent at 4 p.m. Saturday at Adams State University in Alamosa for the championship.
The loss ended Ignacio’s season. Only the winner of each regional tournament will move onto the Class 2A State Tournament. This is the third year in a row that Ignacio lost in the first round of the regional tournament, and second year in a row with a 17-5 record, which gave them the top seed.
“That’s why we play the game, the numbers get thrown out,” said Seibel. “I tell my girls that I take the losses on my shoulders and this one belongs in my court. The girls have done all that I asked all year long.”
Senior Ellie Seibel led Ignacio with nine points, Avionne Gomez had eight and Hilda Garcia added seven points.
“I thought Custer County played a great game,” said Seibel. “They were aggressive and we were a little foggy. They came in and played to the best of their abilities and we didn’t.”
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
