Ignacio could have stopped scoring at halftime and still would have advanced to its sixth consecutive regional championship game.
Ignacio High School (22-0) outscored Del Norte 34-14 after halftime in the top-ranked boys basketball team’s 77-32 victory over Del Norte in the Class 2A Region 3 semifinals Friday at Whalen Gymnasium on the Fort Lewis College campus.
The Bobcats led 33-18 at the half but struggled to get going early offensively.
“We had four days of practice (this week) when we were used to playing three or four games a week,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez said. “It takes you a quarter or so to get back into rhythm.”
That rhythm was infectious once the Bobcats found it.
Ten of the 11 Bobcats that played scored, and all 11 grabbed at least one rebound.
“We don’t have to count on one player,” said Adison Jones, son of Greg Jones and Latisha Taylor. “Everyone can come out and contribute.”
Jones led IHS with 12 points, while Wyatt Hayes joined him in double figures with 11, and Tucker Ward put in 10 off the bench.
“The floor was pretty open,” said Ward, son of Deanne Kendall and Dug Ward. “I saw a bunch of lanes I could take.”
The Bobcats’ bench scored 30 points while keeping the starting five fresh.
Del Norte (8-15) only played seven players for most of the game, and they couldn’t keep up with Ignacio’s well-rested starters in the second half.
“I think they did (get tired),” Jones said. “We played the whole game full-court pressing them, and I think that made them tired.”
Jones, the Bobcats’ leading rebounder for the season, only grabbed three boards in the game, but five different players picked up five rebounds to tie for the team lead.
The Bobcats outrebounded the Tigers 41-25 in the game and forced 16 turnovers.
Del Norte leading scorer Hayden Bell only managed four points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
IHS now will look to win its first regional final since 2011 at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The game again will be broadcast live on KSUT 91.3 FM.
The Bobcats will play Sangre de Cristo for a trip to the elite eight of the state tournament in Pueblo next weekend.
Sangre de Cristo (15-8) defeated Rangely 40-34 in the other regional semifinal.
“It’ll take tougher defense then we’ve played in past years,” Jones said. “We can’t get too relaxed.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
Class 2A Region 3
High School Basketball
Class 2A Region 3 Tournament
March 7-8 at Fort Lewis College
Semifinals
Friday, March 7
Ignacio 77, Del Norte 32
Sangre De Cristo 40, Rangely 34
Championship
Saturday, March 8
Ignacio (21-0) vs. Sangre De Cristo (15-8), 2:30 p.m. (KSUT 91.3 FM)
Durango Herald
