The last time Durango met Farmington, the game ended in a heartbreaking loss for the Demons. Last week in Farmington’s Marv Sanders Invitational Tournament, Durango jumped out to a 15-point lead only to lose control in the second half and come up on the losing end of a 47-44 thriller.
Tuesday night, however, the Demons (4-3) got the lead and put the Scorpions (5-2) away for good in a 63-46 win.
Durango senior Orion Clay led all scorers with 18 points and grabbed five rebounds. Scott Morse had 10 points for Durango on 7-for-8 from the foul line and finished with six rebounds and three blocks. Demons guard Kyle Kirkpatrick was 4-for-4 from 3-point range and was key in a strong second half.
“It was good to see the team perform like this after losing to these guys last week,” said DHS head coach Alan Batiste. “We took care of the ball this time, played better defense and made some big shots. That was the difference.”
Big shots were falling early and often in the second half, as the Demons went on a 14-4 run that blew the game open in the third quarter.
Kirkpatrick’s three 3-pointers and a steady diet of Clay and Morse down low put the game away after the Demons fought through a tight first half.
The teams exchanged the lead often, but Clay’s eight first-half points, highlighted by a buzzer-beater heading into halftime, gave the Demons a 25-20 lead after two quarters.
“They just came out and played really good on both ends,” said Farmington head coach Paul Corley. “It was a big momentum swing at the end of the first half after we worked hard to tie it up. The buzzer beater gave them momentum, and they played a heck of a game.”
Farmington center David Riley gave Durango trouble in the early going as the biggest man on the floor. Riley was 3-for-3 from the field in the first half and finished a perfect 6-for-6 for 14 points to lead the Scorpions.
Batiste pleaded with Clay and Morse to be more physical with Riley, and the Demons’ big men responded. Riley was a non-factor after scoring the first bucket of the second half. In his absence, Durango rolled.
Clay was difficult for Farmington to handle in the second half and Durango went to him often. The senior forward has been steady this year, and his 15 second-half points Tuesday put any comeback hopes for Farmington to bed early.
“I felt good all night, and we really needed this one,” said Clay, son of Amee and Daron Clay. “It was a great bounce-back win after a heartbreaking loss last week.”
Tyren King had seven points for Farmington and Clayton Corley added seven in the loss.
“It was good to finally get these guys,” said Morse, son of Cheryl and Ron Morse. “They beat us last year and beat us in a tough one last week, so we really wanted to get them here and we played hard.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
