Now, that’s more like it.
The Durango High School boys basketball team responded from its loss to Class 2A Ignacio with a grind-it-out 40-19 victory over Grand Junction Central on Friday to open Southwestern League play.
The Demons held Central to five total field goals and 21-percent shooting in the game. They also forced 20 turnovers and outrebounded the Warriors 27-23.
“The effort was just 10 times better (than it has been),” DHS head coach Alan Batiste said. “That’s all we look for. We work hard, and anything can happen.”
It was the fewest points DHS (5-4, 1-0 SWL) allowed all season by 10 and well below its season average of 45.8 points per game.
“I feel like we were flying around, talking a lot more and just hustling,” said Nate Atencio, son of Joanna and Raymond Atencio.
Batiste shuffled his starting lineup for the game after a competitive week of practices designed to ignite his team’s effort.
Atencio led the team with 10 points, while Dane Mestas had eight points and four steals. Trent Andrews grabbed a team-high six rebounds to go along with three points, followed by Isiah Mayberry and Lawrence Mayberry, who both had five boards.
“This week was about disciplining us and getting us ready for this game,” Atencio said. “It just feels so good coming up with our first win in the league.”
The defense was up to par, but the Demons still are searching for some offensive rhythm.
DHS shot 44.4 percent from the field and 3-of-13 from behind the 3-point line and turned the ball over 11 times.
“We gotta find those kinks because we start pulling that one-on-one play,” said Batiste, who said Thursday that DHS needed to “hang its coat” on D. “We got to stick to that team basketball with everyone touching the ball once before we start attacking.”
Durango’s victory snapped a two-game winning streak for Central (5-9, 0-1 SWL). The Demons can start building a winning streak of their own at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Fruita Monument at home.
The Wildcats are 5-9 this season, led by seniors Matt Story and Devin Winstanley, who both average more than 8 points per game.
“It’s going to be a battle. Every game we play in conference is gonna be a battle,” Batiste said. “Even though we won by 21 (on Friday night), it was a battle. It was a hard 21 to get.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
