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BUENA VISTA - Junior guard Tymbree Florian remarked last Saturday morning that the lighting unique to Buena Vista's McGinnis Middle School gymnasium was something akin to a large-scale incubator.
Unfortunately for the Wolverines, still relatively fired up for Day 2 of BVHS' 2017 Demon Invitational after a 47-41 loss to Parachute-based Grand Valley, their best-laid (pun intended) plans never fully, um, hatched in a 41-24 loss to Broomfield Jefferson Academy.
"I think today we were more tired, not really with it," freshman Madison Wells said, addressing the fatigue factor after the previous evening's defeat inside the Christian Academy's cinder-block enclosure. "It was definitely a faster game, but I think we did good working together."
Early on, a Florian three-pointer and two-point buckets by senior Tiarra Christensen and junior Jordan Lanning allowed BHS (1-3, 0-0 3A Intermountain) to stay within a point, 8-7, through one quarter. That was similar to the team's initial 6-0 burst against GVHS, which later allowed the Wolverines to stay within four, 17-13, through eight regulation minutes.
"Since we haven't really played together," Wells said, noting the reserves' increased roles with senior Savannah Kaufmann and freshman Kira Riley unavailable, "we're starting to slowly come together."
But while Bayfield managed to stay fairly close to the Cardinals at halftime on Day 1, down 25-17 and with Florian in foul trouble, the second quarter proved BHS' undoing against the Jaguars (4-1, 0-0 3A Metro), with JA going into intermission on an 11-2 run and holding a 19-9 lead.
And though able to mount a comeback mirroring the effort against Grand Valley, the deficit was just too large. After Florian sank two free throws to bring BHS back to 29-23 with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, Lanning fouled out 14 seconds later and JA converted that morale boost into consecutive transition layups to rebuild a double-digit lead.
Wells, meanwhile, booked Bayfield's last point down the stretch with one FT in four tries.
"They were definitely a physical opponent," she said, "but we needed to be more aggressive, go at 'em."
Four-of-four from the charity stripe, Florian led the Wolverines with nine points. Lanning finished with seven and Christensen four. Sophomore Meghan Youngblood came off the bench to net three points, via seven second-half free-throw attempts (Bayfield was just 11-of-22 overall from the foul line).
Florian and Lanning each reached double figures against GVHS.
Freshman Halle Loveday came off the bench to score a promising seven, but was well-watched after halftime and managed no more. And while Youngblood went scoreless, freshman JV call-up Brooke Merchant registered three points. In fact, seven Wolverines scored at least two points while just six Cardinals logged at least one.
Unfortunately, junior Shaya Chenoweth was deadly from all over the floor and burned Bayfield for 10 first-quarter points and a game-high 32, including three three-pointers and seven FTs in 11 chances.
Up next, Bayfield will host 2A Blanding, Utah, at 5:30 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 15.
