The Bayfield High School boys basketball found its identity through balanced scoring in two games separated by only 17 hours.
A year after the Wolverines won only four games – two years removed from a Class 3A state championship and one after a 19-win season – Bayfield returned to the top of the four-team Southwest Classic boys basketball tournament. The Wolverines beat host Durango Friday night to set up a tournament championship game against Pine River rival Ignacio on Saturday morning.
Bayfield raced out to a 7-0 lead before Ignacio senior Bryce Finn, the team’s leading scorer, went down with a left knee injury. And with IHS senior guard Brady McCaw limited by a sore Achilles and foul trouble a day after he didn’t play against Montezuma-Cortez, Bayfield was able to use its depth to run away from the Bobcats (1-2) for a 50-37 victory.
“This feels great. Last year, we weren’t that good. It feels good to get some wins in and go into the rest of the season with better confidence,” said Bayfield’s Landon Kennedy, referencing the team’s turnaround from an 0-2 showing in the same tournament a year ago. “We are shooting the ball a lot better. Our free throws are a lot better. Overall, we’re a much better team this year.”
With senior Crosby Edwards dealing with his own foul trouble, the Wolverines (2-2, 0-1 3A Intermountain League) didn’t flinch. Six players scored at least five points, led by 13 for a second consecutive game from Kennedy.
“We have a lot of trust in each other since we’ve been playing together for so long,” Kennedy said.
Hunter Bayles had another big game for BHS on the inside rebounding and drawing fouls. He finished with 11 points, and five of those came at the foul line.
The story for Ignacio was the loss of Finn. The do-it-all senior cut to the top of the 3-point arch looking to receive a pass late in the first quarter when his left knee gave out from underneath him. He went down in agony, a rare scene for the tough player.
Finn was carried off the court by IHS head coach Chris Valdez and Bayfield head coach Klint Chandler. Even Montezuma-Cortez head coach Mike Hall came out of the stands to help carry Finn off. It was an ultimate show of concern and respect for one of the best players in Southwest Colorado.
“I hope it’s nothing major,” Chandler said. “He’s a great kid and a great basketball player. I hate to see any senior go down like that. I hope he’s alright.”
Finn returned to the bench later in the first half with ice on his knee and a heavy limp.
“He’s walking on it, so that’s a good sign. The trainer here at Durango said she doesn’t think it’s anything major,” Valdez said. “It remains to be seen how he’s going to feel next week.”
As Finn went down, Gabe Tucson hit Ignacio’s first basket of the game, a long 3-pointer from the right wing. Tucson was called on the rest of the game to shoulder the scoring load for the Bobcats. He hit at least one 3 in every quarter and finished with a game-high 17 points.
“It’s tough when you’re missing two of your best players, but all of our kids had to step up,” Valdez said. “Now if it happens next week, at least our guys have been there before and it’s not new to them. Gabe can run point guard and is good with the ball. It’s about getting everybody on the same page when not all of your guys are there and a lot of guys haven’t played varsity ball. We have to work these young guys in so we have seven or eight kids who can play at the end of the year.”
After Ignacio trailed 22-16 at halftime, Bayfield stretched the lead to 37-20 after three quarters.
But Tucson hit two 3s sandwiched around another 3 from Eppie Quintana, and the Bobcats were able to get as close as 41-29 with 6:36 to play. Chandler called a timeout for Bayfield, and his team was able to regroup in a hurry.
Kacey Chandler scored five of his eight points to finish the game, while Kennedy also made a pair of shots from the floor.
Ignacio will begin league play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at home against Dolores. Valdez does not expect to have Finn for that game, but McCaw should be able to return to the starting lineup after playing limited minutes Saturday.
“Injuries and eligibility issues are going to happen,” Valdez said. “I was happy with our effort the last two days. The guys are coachable and are listening and keep working hard, even when they got down 20 today. That’s a good sign for our team.”
Bayfield will turn its focus to a 6 p.m. Friday clash at Alamosa (3-2, 1-1 IML). The Wolverines find themselves in a brutally tough and evenly matched league with Pagosa Springs and Alamosa both 1-1 and Centauri standing at 1-0. After a strong weekend, the Wolverines (0-1 IML) believe they will be right in the mix.
“The way we shared the ball this weekend was huge,” coach Chandler said. “The even scoring balance is going to be big for us in league games. I hope we are getting back to the level we want to compete at in this tough league.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
