Survive and advance is the name of the game when it comes to the state tournament, and the Durango High School boys basketball team did just that Friday night.
The fourth-seeded Demons took down the No. 5 Mountain View Lions, who were looking for the mini-upset in the Maceo Brodnax region of the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A State Tournament at Pueblo West High School.
The Demons ended the Mountain Lions’ season in dramatic fashion, winning 65-60 in a game that saw two teams battle back-and-forth all night.
“We’re just peaking at the right time,” Durango head coach Alan Batiste said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “It was a good offensive game as far as moving the basketball and being more patient and poised.”
Senior Terrance Trujillo led the Demons (18-7) with 12 points. Orion Clay had nine and Lucas Baken had eight for Durango.
Mountain View’s Jose Orrantia had 25 to lead the Mountain Lions, and he made several clutch 3-pointers late to keep the game close.
Durango came out of the gates hot, building a 14-point lead in the first quarter. Mountain View, however, responded with a 20-8 second quarter to take a one-point lead into halftime.
Durango came out of the break and retook the lead and kept a steady five-point lead throughout the second half.
Durango was up 13 points with five minutes left, and that’s when Orrantia and the Mountain Lions began to heat up, as they connected on five 3-pointers in a row to make the comeback.
Trujillo was able to maintain his composure and make key free throws down the stretch to keep the Mountain Lions away for good.
Despite turning the ball over 16 times in the game, Batiste believes his team still had a good game offensively.
“We’ve been in every situation that any team could be in,” Batiste said. “This team showed some poise and fight down stretch. I’m happy to see them move onto the next round.”
And onto the next is where the Demons will now match up against the No. 1 Pueblo West Cyclones (21-3) at 2 p.m. Saturday for a shot at the Sweet 16 round of the CHSAA Class 4A State Tournament.
“We can play a lot of different styles,” Batiste said. “We’ll have to make a different move, like chess.”
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
