For the second year in a row, the Bayfield High School boys basketball team is moving onto the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 3A Regional Tournament after taking down the Monte Vista Pirates 69-65 in the third-place game of the Intermountain League Tournament.
“I give a lot of credit to the Monte Vista seniors,” Bayfield head coach Jeff Lehnus said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “They battle hard; they weren’t going to go down easily.”
The third-seeded Wolverines (11-10) jumped to a 21-10 lead at the end of the first and had a lead as large as 13 points going into the fourth quarter. But No. 4 Monte Vista (7-15) slowly chipped away.
With 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Pirates cut the Wolverines’ lead to three at 64-61.
“It’s about getting the job done enough to move on,” Lehnus said. “We had a good inside and outside balance on offense. They had to do what they had to do to get the job done.”
Taed Heydinger had a great bounce-back game with 19 points to lead Bayfield. He was limited to only two points Thursday in the semifinals against Pagosa Springs.
BHS sophomore Ryan Phelps had a double-double with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Brian Mashak came off the bench and was a jolt of offense with nine points.
Senior Zane Phelps finished the game with four points despite playing with a slightly injured left ankle he sustained earlier in the week during practice.
“(Zane’s) been doing a good job playing through (the injury),” Lehnus said.
Presley Garcia led the Pirates with 25 points.
Bayfield won the rebounding battle 35-29 and forced 12 steals. The Wolverines also hit 19-of-29 free throws. One downside of Bayfield’s offense was turning the ball over 17 times.
“I’m still pleased,” Lehnus said. “We’re young. This is the first time the young kids have been in the playoffs, so it’s a new experience for them. Right now they know what it’s like to win their first playoff game. Getting to regionals two years in a row was a huge accomplishment in its own.”
Bayfield now awaits the CHSAA Regional bracket to be released to see who the Wolverines play next. The brackets will be released Sunday.
“Bottom line, we’re going to play our best when it matters most,” Lehnus said.
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
