No one outside the Bayfield High School boys basketball locker room gave the No. 28 Wolverines much of a chance against No. 5 the Pinnacle on Friday in Thornton.

BHS still had all the belief it needed, pulling off the biggest upset of the CHSAA Class 3A State Championships first round by taking down The Pinnacle 75-54 on the road.

“This was a very unexpected win except for us,” BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus said. “While this is a great victory, it’s a byproduct of their great, hard work. It’s not a fluke.”

The mindset and plan for BHS (12-10) was simple – attack. The Wolverines penetrated and scored most of their points in the paint and from the free-throw line. They only hit three 3-pointers but only took eight. BHS also made 16-of-21 free throws.

“We penetrated, we dished, and that was our plan,” Lehnus said. “We attacked them.”

Senior point guard Connner Kennedy led the team with 17 points and four assists.

Three other Wolverines scored in double figures. Dillon Hoselton scored 19 and grabbed nine rebounds, Preston Hardy had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Trevor Gabbard chipped in 13.

“They’re bringing it all together when it matters most,” Lehnus said.

The Wolverines also made a slight defensive adjustment he thought would slow The Pinnacle (19-4). He wouldn’t divulge the adjustment, though.

“We altered our defensive approach for this team,” he said. “We contained their fast break, and we contained their penetration. I thought that was the key to the game.”

BHS next will face No. 12 Eaton with a Great Eight berth on the line at 1 p.m. Saturday in Thornton. Eaton defeated Ridge View Academy 57-47 to reach the final 16.

“They’re a bunch of stocky, strong football-looking kind of physical kids. It’ll be a battle,” Lehnus said. “They’re going to pressure the ball, play full-court and do some trapping. We’re going to have to see the court and make good decisions and make them pay. They look like a disciplined team.”

heraldsports@durangoherald.com