In a familiar meeting between two schools divided by a county line, the Bayfield High School boys basketball team and Pagosa Springs met in the first round of the Class 3A Intermountain League Tournament.
The third time was not a charm for the No. 3 Wolverines, as the No. 4 Pirates were too deep down the stretch in a 60-48 victory that propelled them into the championship game versus No. 1 Alamosa.
Bayfield (10-10) came out flat and had a hard time getting its rhythm going, submitting an 8-2 lead to Pagosa Springs (13-7) in the first quarter.
The Pirates pressured Bayfield senior and leading scorer Taed Heydinger all game, holding him to only two points. The Pirates received 21 points from sophomore Isaiah Griego.
The Wolverines turned the ball over 19 times.
“They played a solid game, we didn’t,” Bayfield head coach Jeff Lehnus said. “It comes down to who can execute to the best of their ability. They shot well – they usually do – but when we turn the ball over 19 times, we don’t have the chance to score. That’s what hurts.”
Heydinger was Pagosa Springs’ top priority, holding him well below his 13.5 point average.
“They played him tough, and Taed wasn’t going to force anything that wasn’t there,” Lehnus said.
Ryan Phelps was Bayfield’s leading scorer with 10. Zane Phelps and Hunter Killough followed with nine points each.
Briar Erskine – who usually gives Bayfield fits – had 13 points for Pagosa Springs.
The atmosphere of playing in the postseason at Centauri High School may have contributed to the Wolverines’ slow start. The turnovers varied in types between violations, offensive fouls and bad passes.
Bayfield was only down seven by halftime. After calming down, the Wolverines came out of halftime on a 13-6 run to take the lead at 32-31.
Bayfield came out with full court pressure on Pagosa Springs, which caused the Wolverines to use a lot of energy. The advantage went to Pagosa Springs, as free-throw shooting quickly became a factor. The Pirates went 18-for-24 from the charity stripe, as the Wolverines went 9-for-11.
Bayfield’s season is still alive. The Wolverines will face No. 4 Monte Vista (7-14) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Centauri. The top three teams in the district tournament move on to the Class 3A state tournament.
“Now we are fighting for playoff life for the chance to advance,” Lehnus said. “We have to get to the dance, so now we’re just looking for positives. We’re going to come out and play Bayfield basketball; rebound, play defense. We’ll win and then advance.”
Bayfield and the Monte Vista Pirates split their meetings this year with the Pirates winning 54-46 in Bayfield. The Wolverines got revenge by beating the Pirates on their own court 56-48 on Feb. 12.
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
