Tuesday’s season-opening game got away from the Bayfield High School girls basketball team in the second half.
The Navajo Prep Eagles (1-0) soared up and down the floor to score transition points and exploded to a 75-46 win after they led only 31-26 at halftime.
“I thought the girls played really great in the first half,” said BHS head coach Josh Kitchen. “The second half, honestly, we were running out of gas a bit. We made mistakes.”
Kitchen thought his team played well for three quarters but said the first half of the fourth quarter got away from the Wolverines (0-1).
“We had a short bench for the game, and it added up on the girls,” he said. “Navajo Prep has a humongous varsity team with 10 or more girls playing. They were doing line changes on us, and they did want to run. We did a good job stopping it consistently, but, after a certain amount of time, it wears on ya. The girls got tired and made mistakes they wouldn’t make otherwise, and Navajo Prep capitalized with 3-pointers and fasbtreak.”
Kitchen didn’t have exact statistics but said Tymbree Florian led the Bayfield offense with more than 20 points, and he estimated that Macee Schultz had 12 to 15 rebounds.
Next, Bayfield will play in the Buena Vista tournament with a game Friday against Middle Park.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
