The Durango High School boys basketball team came out of the holiday break refreshed and full of energy, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
Though it took a quarter to get their legs back underneath them, the Demons didn’t allow Pagosa Springs to score in double digits in any quarter and gave up only 16 points in the final three quarters en route to Tuesday’s 50-24 romp of the Pirates.
Demons senior Guy Bay came off the bench to lead the team with nine points. Fellow senior Lucas Baken filled up the stat book with eight points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists, and Kyle Kirkpatrick chipped in seven points in the first win of 2016 for Durango.
“We knew we needed to turn up the tempo after that first quarter,” said Durango head coach Alan Batiste. “We were settling for 3-pointers and not penetrating, so we just needed to turn it up and get some easy baskets.”
After the Demons came out a bit rusty at the offensive end of the floor and only managed to score four points in the opening quarter, the second quarter was a much different story.
Durango (5-3) used a 16-0 run to blow the game wide open before halftime. The Demons defense was stifling in the second quarter, forcing five Pagosa Springs (5-3) turnovers in the eight minutes and allowing a miniscule two points in the frame.
Baken was the spark plug in the quarter as a repeatedly disruptive defender. The senior’s hard work on the defensive end translated to six second quarter points. His efforts were key in a 20-2 second quarter advantage that gave the home team a comfortable 24-10 lead at the half.
“I just know there’s always a way that I can help my team,” said Baken, son of Dante and Jessica Baken. “It doesn’t matter if the shot is falling at the other end or not, defense is always there.”
Baken’s effort was contagious as the Demons swarmed the Pirates for the final three quarters and the Durango bench took over.
Bay knocked down shots from the perimeter, and senior big man Seth Gilleland was a force off the bench as well. Gilleland finished with six points, six rebounds and three blocks, as the Demons received contributions from a variety of sources while leading scorer Orion Clay struggled to get going.
“When our leading scorers aren’t contributing and we’re getting quality minutes from the guys off the bench, that’s what good teams do,” Batiste said. “All sorts of guys were stepping up and, as a coach, that’s what you like to see. The guys are winning as a team.”
Sophomores Isaiah Griego and Keaton Laverty had four points to lead Pagosa Springs along with senior Briar Erskine, who also led the Pirates with five rebounds.
Durango will be back on its home court at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Piedra Vista.
The Durango girls team (5-1) played at Pagosa Springs (6-0) on Tuesday and lost 55-18. Statistics were not immediately available.
jfries@durangoherald.com
