After a month playing away from home, Durango High School’s girls basketball team showed its potential in a three-minute stretch to start the third quarter as the Demons easily defeated Pagosa Springs, 53-34.
The Demons’ defense was active all game, forcing Pagosa Springs into either turnovers or tough shots. The Pirates couldn’t run any plays and looked a step slower than any of the Durango athletes on the floor.
It all came together when Durango used its defense to power its offense to a 15-0 run in the first three minutes of the third and put the game into blowout territory.
“It was a great team win, and our defense led the way for us, which has been this way for the whole season,” Durango head coach Lauren Moran said. “We were a little slow to get going offensively in the first half, but because we weren’t allowing them buckets, it was ok, and that gave us that extra time we needed to warm up offensively.”
Durango improved to 6-5 overall and has won five consecutive games. Senior guard Claire Goodwin had 14 points and five assists to lead the Durango offense. Junior guard Jaelyn Alston also had 14 points and three steals.
Alston has turned into Durango’s most consistent 3-point shooter, while her height and athleticism are a challenge for most teams Durango faces, according to Moran.
Pagosa Springs dropped to 3-6 overall after the loss. Liana Vega led the Pirates with 11 points.
Durango was great on defense with three steals to start, but struggled to run its offense in the first few minutes. The Demons weren’t running their sets properly and getting any penetration. Goodwin finally penetrated the defense and found senior forward Aysia Mathews for a push shot. She found Alston for an open 3-pointer for a 5-0 lead with 3:45 left in the first quarter.
The Demons picked things up at the end of the first quarter, getting out in transition and moving the ball for good looks. A layup by Neiman inside off a nice transition pass from Goodwin gave Durango a 10-4 lead going into the second.
Goodwin takes up a lot of the defense’s attention and rightfully so, as she’s the primary ball handler and creator for the Demons. However, this opens up space for the other four players. Neiman found that space for two layups as the Demons took a 17-6 lead with three minutes left in the half. An Alston 3-pointer gave Durango a 20-9 halftime lead.
Moran knows her team has a lot of players who can score, and she expects different players to step up as they get more comfortable in their roles. This will create a more balanced offense for Moran.
The start of the second half couldn’t have been better for Durango. The Demons moved the ball for good looks and used their defense to create offense. Senior guard Josie Phare had two great drives for scores. Alston and Goodwin both hit 3-pointers. It seemed like in the blink of an eye, the Demons started the third quarter on a 15-0 run and led 35-9 with five minutes left in the third.
“As soon as we came back out on the court right before the second half started, I said, ‘Either we're going to go on a run right now, and we're going to end the game, or we're going to let them hang around, and we're going to be fighting the entire rest of the game,”’ Moran said. “We always try and emphasize that first four minutes after the half is a really important turning point.”
Durango’s offense slowed down after that terrific start, but the Demons had built up enough of a lead to withstand a few Pagosa Springs baskets comfortably. Durango led 40-17 after three quarters. Durango cruised to victory in the fourth as Moran put in the entire bench.
The Demons will hit the road to begin league play at Grand Junction Central on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
