The Ignacio High School girls basketball team is back in the 2A District 3 championship game.
Behind 12 points each for Avaleena Nanaeto and Larissa Gallegos, the top-seed Bobcats (15-5) overcame a slow start to roll past fifth-seed Mancos 44-22 on Friday night at Montezuma-Cortez High School.
IHS led only 4-3 after one quarter, as the Bluejays (5-16) found a way to keep pace with the high-flying Bobcats, which had not played since last Saturday’s big 36-35 upset of Class 3A No. 4 Pagosa Springs.
But Ignacio turned it on and outscored Mancos 17-10 in the second quarter to take a 21-13 lead into halftime. IHS closed out the game with a 14-5 advantage in the fourth quarter.
“We came out very slow, didn’t wake up until the second quarter,” IHS head coach Justa Whitt said. “On the whole, definitely not the best game we have played, but we got the job done.”
Ignacio also received nine points from Charlize Valdez and four each from Ebonee Gomez and Makayla Howell.
Mancos was led by Isis Jaime, who had nine points. Madi Hale added seven.
IHS will face second-seed Telluride (8-12) in the district championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday back in Cortez. Telluride won in the other semifinal in an 18-13 win against Dolores.
“Looking to regroup and come out firing and ready against Telluride,” Whitt said.
jlivingston@ durangoherald.com
