BUENA VISTA-With an overhead structure akin to that of Chapman Hill Ice Arena in Durango, it probably didn't come as a total surprise to Bayfield's players when last Saturday's Buena Vista Invitational matchup versus Lafayette Peak to Peak was stalled due to snow-caused leakage through the McGinnis Middle School gymnasium roof.
The better surprise, however, had come less than a minute earlier in the third quarter when Skyla Ruybal's short jumper had regained the Wolverines a 24-23 advantage. This was just after Peak junior Kenna Hazzard's steal and resulting layup had given the Pumas a 23-22 lead. Peak to Peak completely erased what had been a 13-5 deficit facing them after one quarter and what had grown to as great as 18-8 early in the second.
"We've got to run our plays, and sometimes we forget and don't click," BHS guard Tymbree Florian said.
"I think we kind of got lost on defense for a little bit.got a little frazzled with hustling, so they got ahead," agreed teammate Tiarra Christensen. "They really wanted it. But we came back, wanted it more.and took it!"
The roof leak stoppage (with 5:47 left in the third) gave head coach Lana Killough and her staff a free timeout and time to re-motivate the players. BHS then rallied to regain a 32-27 lead with just a frame remaining, and the Wolverines never looked back en route to a physical 46-36 victory.
"I think they did great," Killough said. "They made plays when they listened and ran 'em. We've got some kinks to iron out, but again.when they listen and run the plays they make things happen. The girls are fun, and I love basketball so.. That's the reason I'm here; I love the game."
A Florian basket got the weekend's last eight minutes underway, a Courtney Bayles cleanup soon followed, and after Peak to Peak junior Molly Higdon fouled out (with 2:14 left) contesting a Taylor Morris hoop, Bayfield's lead had increased to 40-30.
Taking advantage of BHS' pressing defense, Morris then netted a transition layup and senior Maddy Duran converted a steal into two more points, preceding Florian's two icing free throws in four attempts. Bayfield's 8-of-20 struggles at the stripe unfortunately resembled the Pumas' 12-of-30.
"It was just putting hustle back in the game," Florian said, of the Wolverines' defensive resurgence late in the game. "Besides the defense.our team started to connect. passing, assists, shots.it all started to connect for us."
"Yesterday was a rough game," she noted, "but I think that kind of pushed us to do a lot better today."
Unable to stick with the event-hosting Buena Vista Demons after halftime-when the score was tied at 13-13-of their Day 1 meeting, BHS had fallen 41-31. But the girls went into Day 2 looking refreshed after a site change away from BVHS' normal Dorothea Wille P.E. Complex home.
"Last night we.had a hard time just really getting into defense and stuff," Christensen said. "So this time we knew we could take this team.knew that we could play our defense strong. We just came out ready.and knew that if we hustled we could beat them down the court."
Florian finished with 10 points against Peak to Peak (0-6, 0-0 3A Metro), and Morris and Duran each had eight. Bayles booked seven, and Christensen and Ruybal four apiece as eight Wolverines scored at least two.
Hazzard registered a game-best 15 for Lafayette.
"You know, last year we struggled.never won a game," said Christensen. "So just coming into this huge tournament with all these schools we've never played before, and knowing we came in with one win-from Durango-we knew, like, this is our year to show people that Bayfield girls' basketball is not over."
Up next, BHS (2-2, 0-0 3A Intermountain) travels tonight to 4A Bloomfield, N.M., for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
AT THE 2015 BVHS INVITATIONAL, DAY 2-Peak to Peak (5-9-13-9) 36: M.Higdon 0 0-0 0, K.Hazzard 5 3-13 15, R.Thomas 2 8-11 12, G.Reece 2 0-0 4, F.Freeman-Grundei 1 0-0 2, T.Anderson 0 0-4 0, J.Hall 1 1-2 3, S.Branham 0 0-0 0, T.Miller 0 0-0 0, A.Gill 0 0-0 0, R.Peterson 0 0-0 0, L.Hudson 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 11 12-30 36. 3-POINTERS: Hazzard 2. FOULED OUT: Higdon (2:14 left, Q4).
Bayfield (13-9-10-14) 46: M.Duran 3 2-4 8, T.Florian 4 2-5 10, S.Ruybal 2 0-2 4, T.Christensen 2 0-0 4, C.Bayles 2 3-4 7, T.Morris 4 0-2 8, T.Tate 0 0-0 0, K.Baker 0 0-0 0, M.Foutz 1 1-2 3, A.Johnson 1 0-1 2. TOTALS: 19 8-20 46. 3-POINTERS: None. FOULED OUT: Johnson (0:08 left, Q4).
