When the Durango Demons loaded the bus for Pueblo, returning home with a trophy wasn’t on their minds.
But the Durango High School girls basketball team handled all comers while playing four games in three days at the 19th Pueblo County Lady Hornets Holiday Tournament.
In the final game of pool-play, the Demons defeated Vista Ridge 38-21. The win gave DHS a spot in the championship game against the tournament host, and the Demons spoiled the Lady Hornets’ party with a dominant 46-33 win.
The win sent the Demons to a perfect 6-0 start to the season.
“To be honest, I didn’t even think about it,” DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick said when asked if he thought winning the tournament was a possibility. “I wanted us to improve and get better, and we did that. The competition did step up from our first two games, but the kids did a great job responding and were rewarded.
“I have a hard-working group that brings it every day in practice. I’m glad they got to see some success for all that hard work early in the year.”
DHS senior guard Katie Wiegert was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. She scored 19 points in the championship game, and she scored five against Vista Ridge.
Sophomore guard Katrina Chandler had 18 points against Vista Ridge and another 11 in the championship game.
“We played very good team basketball all around,” Fitzpatrick said. “We had good defensive intensity.”
DHS led Pueblo County by nine points at the end of every quarter until taking a 13-point win. Fitzpatrick said the team had no problem keeping focused between two games played Saturday.
“It was very business-like. They took care of business and just played,” the coach said of his team. “Playing twice in a day and four games in three days, it took really big minutes from people on the bench. They were all solid.”
Earning an early season tournament win could propel the Demons to a big season. Fitzpatrick said it will only fuel his team’s growing confidence.
“It’s confidence, and we have it. As a group, we’re confident. Going forward this will only help us,” he said. “We still have a lot of improving to do, and we gotta go in and make sure we still stay hungry and work hard.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
