When postseason comes calling, key players shine, which was what happened to the Durango High School girls basketball team Friday night.
In the first round of the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A State Tournament, the No. 4 Demons took on the No. 5 Air Academy Kadets in the Carol Callan Region at Sand Creek High School. Durango did enough to earn a 53-46 win.
The win sent the Demons into the Sweet 16, where Durango will face No. 1 Sand Creek at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Katrina Chandler had 17 points while Shilo Gillen, Stephanie Basye and Taylor Edwards each had 11 points on the night.
“It was really big win for us,” Durango head coach Tim Fitzpatrick said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “Considering we haven’t been to the Sweet 16 for a while, this felt good.”
Durango (16-7) got out to a solid start and led the whole game. The Demons’ defense was the cause of the win, coming out more aggressive than Air Academy (13-11).
The Kadets hung around long enough for Durango not to get comfortable, but a solid fourth quarter prevented Air Academy’s comeback. The Kadets opened the final frame with a full-court press on defense, which fooled Durango at first, but Fitzpatrick’s squad made good decisions with the ball and knocked down big free throws to seal the win.
Near the end of the game, Durango clung to a slim lead, but Sienna Johnson hit a clutch 3-point shot that gave the Demons some breathing room.
“They played some zone, then they went man-to-man,”said Fitzpatrick said. “When they went to man defense, we attacked. The mentality of the girls was aggressive.”
The Demons will need to keep their defensive aggressiveness alive, as Durango will now face the No. 1 Sand Creek Scorpions (22-1).
jmentzer@durangoherald.com
