It was very fitting that Durango High School senior forward Ryne Neiman had the final rebound and points for the Demons in their 41-36 home win over Palisade.
Neiman couldn’t be stopped as a rebounder on Saturday, pulling in a season-high 18 rebounds, to go along with good defense for the Demons. Although she struggled to finish inside, she hit both of her free throws after she was fouled with her 18th rebound in her hand, securing Durango’s biggest win of the season.
The Demons’ offense had its bright spots, but once again, their defense was their catalyst for success, helping build an early lead that Palisade couldn’t recover from.
“Although at times we missed close-range shots today, I think our percentage was much higher than it was last time,” Durango head coach Lauren Moran said. “Even when we were struggling to score, the girls were willing to stick with the game plan and keep trying to get the ball into the paint through penetration or looking into the posts.”
Durango improved to 10-9 overall and 3-4 in the 6A/5A Southwestern League. The Demons’ win over Palisade on Saturday was a nice bounce-back performance after losing at Palisade, 40-27, on Jan. 17.
Senior guard Claire Goodwin led the Demons in scoring with 13 points on 4-13 shooting from the field, 3-5 from the 3-point range and 2-2 from the free-throw line. Neiman had a Dennis Rodman-type stat line with seven points and 18 rebounds.
Palisade dropped to 12-7 overall and 4-3 in 6A/5A Southwestern League play. Junior guard Gracie Cooper led the Bulldogs with 11 points.
The momentum from Friday’s win certainly carried over to Saturday with an excellent start for the Demons. They shared the ball on offense against a mix of man-to-man and zone defense.
Durango’s defense was fantastic early on, forcing nearly a half-dozen turnovers, as junior guard Jaelyn Alston and junior guard Gracie Fitzpatrick were very aggressive on defense. A banked-in 3-pointer by Alston gave Durango an 11-2 lead with 3:30 left.
Palisade got some offense going late in the quarter to cut the deficit, but Durango still led 13-7 after a fantastic final possession of defense on the Palisade guards.
Offense was harder to come by to start the second quarter. Durango didn’t have the same flow against Palisade’s zone defense and couldn’t find the gaps in the middle of the zone. On defense, the referees had a quick whistle, and Palisade was in the bonus with more than five minutes left in the quarter.
“One thing that's tricky about them is they change their defenses so frequently,” Moran said. “So they play a really active 2-1-2 zone and they play a 1-3-1. They've played us in a box-and-one, triangle-and-two and they play man … They really keep you on your toes … and they can make it challenging to get in a rhythm offensively.”
Durango finally got its offense going with a Goodwin 3-pointer and a long jumper by senior guard Josie Phare. Mathews was a force in the middle of the second quarter, blocking two shots and setting a powerful screen to free up Alston for a mid-range jumper. Durango led 20-10 with 3:49 left in the first half as the Bulldogs needed a timeout.
The Demons’ 12-0 run gave them a 15-point lead late in the second quarter. Palisade responded by getting out in transition to finish the quarter on a 7-0 run, cutting Durango’s lead to 25-17 at the half.
It took most of the quarter, but the Demons finally warmed up on offense in the third, getting to the free-throw line. Neiman continued to be a beast on the boards, but there was a lid on the basket with her putbacks. Palisade found some success inside and at the free-throw line. A late 3-pointer by Palisade cut the Demons’ lead to 32-28 going into the fourth.
“I know that she got frustrated at times about the calls because it did seem like they were being really physical in the paint,” Moran said about Neiman. “But she never let that take her out of her game. She made it up on the defensive end of the court with her rebounds, and that was a tremendous effort from her on both sides.”
The fourth quarter started as a staring contest, with both teams looking at each other to see which squad would make the first offensive move. It ended up being Palisade; the Bulldogs hit an open 3-pointer to tie the game at 33 with 5:15 left. Durango was struggling against Palisade’s zone defense, despite having some success against it in the first half.
Goodwin responded by taking control of the offense. She got to the free-throw line, finished in transition and found Neiman, who was fouled. A Neiman free throw gave the Demons a 38-34 lead with two minutes left.
Durango struggled with turnovers down the stretch. Luckily for the Demons, Palisade couldn’t make them pay with a tying basket, and Neiman came up clutch with two big rebounds. Phare was fouled, hit a free-throw, and the Demons forced a turnover. Neiman hit her free throws to seal the game.
The Demons hit the road to play at Pueblo East on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
