It all came down to one bounce off the rim for the Ignacio High School boys basketball team.
Lawrence Valdez didn’t score a point until the final seconds of Saturday’s Class 2A San Juan Basin League district tournament championship game against Telluride in Cortez. Trailing by two points, the Bobcats drew up a play to get point guard Clay Seibel a shot. But the Miners blanketed Seibel, who was forced to throw the ball inside to look for a game-tying shot. But the post was covered, too, and the ball was kicked back out to Valdez, who set his feet 2.5 feet outside the 3-point line and got off a shot. The ball hit the rim, ricocheted off the backboard and fell through the hoop with 7 seconds to play, giving the Bobcats a 45-44 lead.
Valdez then tipped the ball away from Telluride and forced A jump ball with 1 second to play. The Miners didn’t get a good look at a buzzer-beating shot, and the Bobcats secured their 10th consecutive district championship and ninth in a row in the San Juan Basin League.
“We pulled it off,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez said. “People were saying it was a lucky shot. It was off the mark, but it went in. He was trying to make a basket, and it went in. Call it what you want.”
IHS (15-6) trailed 16-14 after one quarter but took a five-point lead at halftime. That lead got as high as 10 points before the Bobcats went into the fourth quarter leading 37-31. IHS struggled to make open 3s and even missed a few layups, allowing Telluride (12-8) to regain the lead late. But the Valdez shot erased the woes in a flash.
“It was huge for him, because it gave him that confidence and belief that one shot can help your team,” Coach Valdez said. “We’re really excited about the win. I’m not sure how many teams in the state have won 10 district titles in a row. It’s huge.”
Cole McCaw and Johnny Valdez led Ignacio with 10 points each. Johnny Valdez added five rebounds, four steals and three assists. McCaw had four steals and two assists. Kai Roubideaux had a huge game going against three tall Telluride players all at 6-foot-3 or taller. He finished with eight rebounds and four assists to go with two points.
Seibel finished with nine points and made two big 3s, including one from the corner with 90 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.
“Clay and Lawrence came in and played great at the point for us,” Coach Valdez said. “They kept us calm.”
Ignacio punched a ticket to the regional championship game next Saturday in Gunnison. A win would send IHS to the final eight of the state tournament. A loss would end the team’s season.
The girls are in the same position after 37-22 win against Norwood in the district title game Saturday in Cortez. It was a tight first half, but the Bobcats (15-6) adjusted defensively in the second half and ran away from the Mavericks (17-4).
Morgan Herrera had another points-rebounds double-double and finished with a team-high 14 points. Avionne Gomez added 11 points, and Alejandra Lujan scored 10.
“I challenged the girls, especially Alejandra, our senior starter,” IHS girls coach Shane Seibel said. “She rose up and was a big difference maker for us. We needed her senior leadership, and we got it from her. She was making plays all over the floor and really scrambling.”
Larissa Gallegos also gave the Bobcats a boost in her return from illness. She had three big steals.
Freshmen Makayla Howell and Herrera also made their presence felt all game.
Now, IHS is one win away from the state tournament spot that alluded the Bobcats a year ago. The team is also one loss away from the season ending. IHS has some of the top teams in the state in its region with Paonia and Del Norte.
“We learned our lesson last year not to overlook anybody,” Coach Seibel said. “We’re humble to be where we are, and we’ll work our tail off this next week in practice.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
