Besides making up for lost time-the previous night's scheduled game versus Ridgway was postponed due to the week's multi-day snowstorm-sophomore reserve John Valdez helped Ignacio make up for time already lost last Saturday as the team's season officially resumed at 4A Montezuma-Cortez.
Burying a mid-court buzzer-beater to conclude the third quarter, Valdez's long-distance hoop gave the uncharacteristically slow-starting Bobcats a 42-40 advantage entering the final eight minutes. Regular gunner Wyatt Hayes, who'd kept IHS close to the Panthers with three treys in the third, then powered Ignacio to a 63-57 road victory with one more triple and 11 (of a game-best 29) fourth-quarter points.
Hayes finished 5-of-6 at the free-throw line, and also recorded six assists, six rebounds and four steals. Senior post presence Nick Herrera fought for 10 points, but senior backcourt aces Anthony Manzanares (six) and Tucker Ward were held to 10 combined. And importantly for M-CHS, neither sank a single three-pointer.
Valdez, senior Austin McCaw and sophomore Kruz Pardo also each finished with four points and soph Kai Roubideaux two as Ignacio managed to improve to 6-0 overall (still 1-0 in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League) after managing just a Hayes basket in a brutal first quarter which saw the home team construct a 10-point lead.
With four points apiece during that frame, Montezuma-Cortez seniors Austin Bayles and Luis Perry began working towards their matching 14-point totals. Five of senior Aron Engel's nine then helped the Panthers cling to a 21-14 halftime margin before IHS finally ignited as feared.
Sophomore Daniel Fernandez booked seven points, classmate Obed Simental had six, senior Cody Canzona four and sophomore Jasen Engel three as M-CHS dipped to 3-4 overall-before Tuesday's trip to 3A Pagosa Springs. Cortez almost matched the Bobcats' five treys and closely mirrored their foul shooting (10-19; IHS was 12-23).
Assuming the Mancos Performance Center's recent heating problems are remedied, Ignacio will next see action tonight against the Blue Jays (3-3, 2-0 SJBL) away, with MHS hoping to recover from a 77-48 beating last Saturday at non-league 2A Center.
CALENDAR CHECK: The Ridgway game at IHS, and its girls' edition, has been rescheduled for Feb. 5.
Jardyn Angell of The Journal contributed to this report.
