Knowing the importance of picking up a late-season road win, senior guard Taed Heydinger's shooting hand was certainly hot enough last weekend for the Wolverines to have won two.
Only a plodding first half last Saturday denied Bayfield's boys conquests of both Centauri and #9-ranked [CHSAANow.com Class 3A poll, Feb. 1] Alamosa, but a silver lining for Jeff Lehnus' squad could have been that they finished the San Luis Valley stay looking just as hungry as they'd started.
A 25-point fourth quarter inside AHS Gymnasium unfortunately wasn't enough to offset a 17-point first half as the Mean Moose tightened their hold on the Intermountain League with a 65-48 win. The game did have the intensity of the previous night's 24-point first quarter, which set in motion a 31-point pounding of the Falcons.
Hitting 11 of 16 attempts from the floor in La Jara, Heydinger got CHS (3-11, 0-4 IML) for 23 points in a 76-45 victory, then put up 21 at AHS (12-4, 5-0) thanks to 5-of-8 work from three-point land. Sophomore center/forward Ryan Phelps went off for 17 points and 10 rebounds at Centauri, then booked 15 and 13 at Alamosa.
Senior forward Zane Phelps scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds last Friday, but was limited to just four and four in BHS' next outing. Freshman guard Keyon Prior scored six points in each contest, largely due to 10-of-12 free-throw accuracy.
Sophomore guard Hunter Killough managed just two points and three assists against the higher-rated Moose as only five Wolverines managed to score at least a point. By comparison, he'd enjoyed an outstanding 4-point, 8-rebound, 10-assist (with only two turnovers), 7-steal night against the Falcons as Bayfield built their early advantage up to 45-23 at halftime (Alamosa would lead 35-17 through two quarters).
Still listed as an 'Others Receiving Votes' team in the aforementioned Feb. 1 poll, BHS dipped to 7-9 overall and 1-4 in the IML prior to tonight's return to the San Luis Valley to meet Monte Vista. A shorter trip to Pagosa Springs then follows on the 16th and the Wolverines wrap up the regular season with their home finale versus CHS on Feb. 18.
Remaining 2-4 in league heading into tonight's game, MVHS fell to 6-11 overall Tuesday night with a 49-43 home loss to 2A Southern Peaks League power Center (13-2 overall; 'RV' in the 2/8 Class 2A poll).
