The Durango High School basketball teams headed south for some great competition in Farmington at the Marv Sanders Invitational to mixed success.
Durango’s boys split their first two games, while the girls continued their streak of close losses to open the season.
Here’s how each team did in their first two games of the tournament:
The Navajo Prep girls basketball team led by as many as eight points in the third quarter before holding off a late rally, topping Durango 34-31 in an opening-round game of the Marv Sanders Memorial Girls Basketball Tournament on Thursday at Farmington High.
The win advanced the Eagles (2-1) into a second-round winner’s bracket match Friday against Volcano Vista, who routed Aztec in a first round game by a score of 55-21.
Senior Kameron Dale led the way with 10 points for Navajo Prep, and junior Leilani Wood had a strong outing, scoring all six of her points in the second quarter. Navajo Prep has now won two straight games.
The two-time defending Class 3A state champions took advantage of poor Durango shooting in the first half; the Demons converted only four of 14 field goal attempts before halftime.
The Eagles' defense forced seven turnovers in the second half, even as the Demons closed the gap in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 31-31 with 3:30 remaining.
Led by Claire Goodwin’s game-high 15 points, Durango had several chances to claim the lead in the final minutes but missed a pair of jump shots and then resorted to fouling to stop the clock. Durango committed eight personal fouls in the fourth quarter, four of which sent Navajo Prep to the free-throw line.
Dale connected on a pair of free throws with 19.3 seconds left to seal the victory for the Eagles. Durango had a chance to tie the game on the final possession, but Navajo Prep junior Nataya Serrano intercepted a cross-court pass just before the final buzzer sounded.
Durango (0-3) looked to win its first game of the Sanders Invitational when it faced Aztec in a consolation-round clash Friday at 11 a.m.
Durango held off a Window Rock push in the second half and advanced to the second round with a 52-41 win Thursday inside Scorpion Arena.
The Demons (1-1) leaned again on junior standout Kingston Kerlin, who poured in 29 points. Senior Jaylen Brown led the Fighting Scouts (3-4) with 15.
Both squads opened cold. Durango hit only one of nine shots yet stayed in front through strong free-throw shooting, knocking down six of eight. The Demons' pressure forced stops, and they closed the quarter ahead 11-7.
Window Rock kept charging after the break, trading baskets until they pulled within 33-31 — the tightest margin of the contest. Durango’s pace then swung the game. The Demons found lanes, beat defenders downcourt, and went on a 7-0 run for a 44-35 lead entering the fourth.
Kerlin controlled the finish, grabbing his own miss for a putback and directing a patient offense that chewed clock. Durango closed strong, sealing the 52-41 victory.
“Everybody knows [Kerlin] on this side of the track, especially on the Western Slope and New Mexico-Colorado border, so everybody’s going to be looking for him,” Durango head coach Alan Batiste said. “So, it’s just going to be another guy that has to step up. We have to have someone help him out.”
Senior Jazzlyn Gomez scored 15 points to lead the Aztec High School girls basketball team to a 31-26 win over Durango in another second-round consolation game at the tournament.
The win, coming after a tough loss to Volcano Vista in the opening round, improves the Tigers' record to 3-1. Aztec will face Newcomb on Saturday at 12:45 p.m.
Both teams struggled offensively. The game featured a number of turnovers in the opening half, and the Tigers were held to only three points in the opening quarter.
Aztec trailed 14-13 at halftime but found more success shooting the ball in the third. Gomez connected on a 3-pointer and made a pair of free throws, while Camila Dominguez also helped put the Tigers’ offense in a better rhythm.
Gomez hit another 3-pointer to give the Tigers the lead in the third quarter, then Khloe Schmidt extended that advantage to 20-16. The Durango Demons (0-4) rallied and reclaimed the lead after Jaelyn Alston connected on back-to-back possessions.
As the third quarter was ending, Gomez put the Tigers back in front, converting a free throw attempt after driving to the lane and drawing a foul.
“She’s been so special to this team, and she really shouldered a load for us today,” Aztec head coach Bill McLaughlin said of Gomez.
The game was sealed midway through the final quarter with Aztec leading 26-23. Schmidt grabbed a turnover in the backcourt and sank a 3-pointer to lift Aztec's lead to 29-23.
“That was really the shot of the game,” McLaughlin said. “[Durango] was starting to press a bit, and she came up with that shot that gave us a little separation.”
Durango (0-4) wrapped up its bracket play Saturday against Shiprock at 11 a.m.
In the other semifinal, Farmington dominated the boards and capitalized on clean execution to cruise to a commanding 68-38 win over Durango.
The Scorpions (6-1) pulled away with a 21-point fourth quarter. Senior Sataurus Griego finished with 11 points, while classmate Donathan Tracy added nine with smooth moves under the basket.
The Demons (1-2) were sparked by 11 early points from senior King Kerlin and sophomore Taj Batiste, who stepped in as a key scorer in the second half.
Farmington took a 21-13 lead at the end of the opening frame, helped by a triple from senior Conner Neff and a basket from Griego.
Tracy began flashing his moves and footwork in the second quarter, providing a boost as the Scorpions’ offense stalled briefly.
“When (Tracy) is driving down to the basket, he’s just so crafty down there and they think they’ve got him,” said Farmington head coach Larry Don-Chitty. “I thought he was sort of our saving grace in the first half.”
Farmington led 36-24 at the break and held a 47-33 lead after three quarters, despite posting its lowest scoring quarter of the night with 11 points.
The Scorpions opened the final quarter strong on defense, forcing a five-second inbound violation. Neff fed Isaac Dinning for a score, and senior Derrick Jaramillo Jr. added six fast-break points, powering the 21-point fourth quarter and sealing the 68-38 victory.
“I’m so pleased with (Jaramillo),” Chitty said. “When he comes in, he plays so hard every time. It’s cool that he can come off the bench like that and be ready to go.”
