SAN LUIS VALLEY – Held to only three field goals, Bayfield’s Wolverines girls basketball had virtually no chance Friday evening of stopping a speedy and skilled Alamosa squad on its home court and lost the teams’ mutual 3A/4A Intermountain League opener 63-8.
“I’m happy we’re in this league because it really shows us what we need to work up to,” BHS head coach Ben Martinez said.
Rewarded for her work in practice during the week, freshman guard Zoe Gabb was given a spot in Martinez’s starting lineup and produced. Her steal early in the second quarter yielded a layup, the visitors’ first basket, with 7:21 left until halftime, and she’d close out the third quarter collecting an offensive rebound and immediately burying a baseline 12-footer.
Still owning an unapproachable 49-8 advantage through 24 regulation minutes, however, AHS’ depth and conditioning dominated the fourth and final frame as freshmen Ashlyn Rice, Brooklyn Schrader and Kyla Hawkins – all reserves in the contest – combined to outscore Bayfield 14-0 and polish off the victory.
There was little doubting the outcome; junior Audrina Knorr received a pass from classmate Arreli Felix and cashed a 3-pointer on the game’s first shot, and Felix then converted a pass from senior Aubrey Rothermich for a near-instant 5-0 edge.
Senior Jaelin Garcia took a Knorr pass and swished a three inflating press-powered AHS’ pad to 17-0 with 2:47 left, and added two 3-pointers late as the 4A Mean Moose muscled their way into the second quarter up 23-0. Gabb’s first bucket ended 3A BHS’ 8:39 scoreless stretch.
Sophomore forward Grace Brown and junior guard Kimball Anderson each made one of two FTs for the Wolverines (3-6 overall, 0-1 IML) before intermission, but Alamosa (6-3, 1-0) entered the break leading 35-4 and plenty content over having kept BHS sophomore guard Kieley White Thunder scoreless.
Gabb finished with four points, two rebounds and as many steals for Bayfield. Garcia scored 11 points during the first half and finished with a game-high 13 for AHS.
Bayfield will play at 2A Mancos on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
