A defense built to win anywhere has carried the Demons to their best start since the 2008-09 season, and now the Durango High School girls basketball team is ready for its biggest test of the year.
Riding a three-game winning streak into Class 4A/5A Southwestern League play, the Demons (10-1) are ready to host the favorite to win the league – Grand Junction. The Tigers (11-4, 1-0 SWL) will visit the Demons at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
“It’s definitely nice to open league at home and try to establish a home-court advantage,” said DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick, whose Demons are 3-1 at home this season. “The league is going to be tough. Junction is a top-10 team in state in 5A, and Montrose is a top-10 team in the state in 4A, and then Fruita Monument and (Grand Junction) Central both have good teams.
“We’re not going to be able to have any nights off with all this good competition.”
The Tigers opened league play Tuesday with a four-point win against the Montrose Indians (8-3, 0-1 SWL), who are ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the CHSAA rankings. Durango is just outside the top 10 in both polls. Grand Junction is No. 9 in Class 5A in both polls.
What the Demons hope will give them an advantage in tough league games is a stout defense that has allowed opponents only 30.8 points per game this season.
“Defense has been our deal. We’ve only given up 40 points once, and I think the kids take pride in it,” Fitzpatrick said. “That’s really where we can transition into our offense is on the defensive end. We’re not going to shut down good players all the time, but with our good team defense, I like our chances.”
Defense will be a big factor Friday against the Tigers, as Grand Junction will enter the game shooting 50 percent from the field while averaging 51.1 points per game. Junior Tori Catlett has scored 13.6 points per game, while senior Sydni Brandon, a Fort Lewis College commit, has scored 10.6 while recording a team-high 5.9 rebounds and 4.2 steals per game.
“Our focus in preparation isn’t really spending a lot of time talking opponents,” Fitzpatrick said. “We will do a little bit more on opponents and personnel going forward, but we’re still just trying to improve what we can do.”
Sparked by transition baskets from turnovers caused by their defense, the Demons do have offensive weapons of their own. Senior guard Katie Wiegert has averaged 15 points per game and sophomore guard Katrina Chandler has scored 11.5 while leading the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. Chandler also leads the team in steals with 2.7 per game, followed by Wiegert’s 1.8.
Gone from the SWL this year is Montezuma-Cortez, which dropped a classification after an 0-18 season a year ago. That bolsters the strength of the league, with Fruita at 10-6 and Grand Junction Central at the bottom at 5-9.
“When you look at our league, and also looking around at even the Western Slope teams in 4A, it’s pretty good. As far as girls basketball right now on the western side of the state, there are some fairly strong teams,” Fitzpatrick said.
Fitzpatrick said his team feels strong going into league play but not yet satisfied by the early season success. They’ll get an early chance to measure their ability to win a league championship right away Friday.
“We’re definitely pleased with where we are,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the No. 1 thing is they’ve, up to this point, been really buying into being a team and playing for each other,” Fitzpatrick said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
