The Ignacio girls and boys basketball teams had two critical games over the weekend with their playoff hopes on the line. The Bobcats played at Alamosa on Friday with the girls losing 40-30 and the boys winning 49-43. On Saturday, Ignacio played Monte Vista with the girls winning 28-27 and the boys winning 63-48.
Should the Ignacio girls end up with a destination and opponent in the fast-approaching CHSAA Class 3A Girls Basketball State Tournament’s opening Round of 32, the Bobcats may have some senior day heroics to thank.
These were provided by a senior stepping her game up at just the right time of the season.
Making the Bobcats’ only 3-pointer Saturday afternoon versus Monte Vista, Victoria Brown beat the final buzzer by only a second and snatched victory right out of the Pirates’ hands. Somewhat balancing a 40-30 loss – upon the same court, no less – the previous evening to Alamosa, the 28-27 stunner beat MVHS head coach Travis Nanaeto’s squad.
A ticket to the playoffs is hardly guaranteed heading into the last week of regular-season play. Ignacio’s finale Tuesday evening was played against none other than consensus No. 2 Centauri, with the Falcons looking to extend their five-game win streak and solidify their status as 3A/4A Intermountain League leaders.
CHS (18-3 overall, 9-1 IML) won 52-22.
Tied 5-5 through one quarter against 3A Monte Vista, but able to take a 14-9 advantage into the locker room at halftime, Ignacio then lost a bit of ground during the third quarter as the Pirates closed to 18-14 after 24 regulation minutes.
Monte Vista kept the pressure on during the final frame, but Brown – saluted along with several classmates – not only netted the winning shot but nearly finished in double figures offensively for a fourth consecutive contest. She had nine points to pace IHS (8-13, 4-7 IML), and sophomore Maliyah Martinez scored six.
Against AHS on Friday, Ignacio trailed 10-5 through one quarter but only 18-16 through two. The Mean Moose, however, took the third by a 10-2 margin and then managed to duel the home team in the fourth to secure the 40-30 victory.
Brown tallied a game-high 13 points; Olguin was right behind with 12.
Alamosa improved to 16-5 overall, 8-2 in league with the win.
Boys’ wins against Alamosa, Monte Vista no guarantee of postseason berth
The ’Cats may have felt like they were stuck on a hot tin roof.
Even after picking up two much-needed home wins over the weekend, Trae Seibel’s bunch isn’t yet off it.
Battling for a berth in the upcoming CHSAA Class 3A Boys Basketball State Tournament’s opening Round-of-32, Ignacio beat 4A Alamosa 70-41 on Friday night, then mashed 3A Monte Vista 67-49 the next afternoon to improve to 11-11 overall and 4-7 in 3A/4A Intermountain League action.
IHS stood No. 31 overall in the CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index after the two games. Not exactly where Ignacio would have wanted to be going into Tuesday’s regular-season finale versus Centauri (21-0, 10-0 IML).
The volume knob was cranked well past ‘11’ inside IHS Gymnasium as the Bobcats handled business against the Mean Moose and the Pirates, knowing a defeat might do their March hopes in.
Statistics from both contests had not been fully tabulated and reported as of press time.
Senior Kaden Madrid scored 16 points in defeat for MVHS (10-12, 3-9 IML) and senior Alex Marquez booked 12 points.
Junior Victor Zepeda was the only player in double figures for AHS (3-18, 1-9), though he did rack up an impressive 22 points.
