The No. 26 seeded Ignacio High School boys basketball team went to Peyton and upset the No. 7 Panthers on their home court Friday in the regional round-of-32 of the Class 3A state tournament 45-42.
Peyton was energized early and jumped out to a 16-2 lead.
Devante Montoya’s second basket of the game, a pull-up jumper, sparked a 6-0 Ignacio run to end the first quarter with PHS up 16-8.
Peyton scored the first basket in the second quarter, but then Ignacio started dropping threes and rallied all the way back to take a 23-21 lead.
Two Peyton free throws sent the teams into halftime even 23-23.
Peyton then hit a three to start the third and take the lead back.
After a Phillip Quintana steal, Eppie Quintana scored with a put back that pumped up the Bobcat fans in the gym.
Eppie Quintana then scored while getting fouled. He missed the free throw, but the next time down the court he struck from three to put IHS up 29-26.
After the teams traded baskets, with Dylan McCaw scoring for IHS, the Panthers went on a burst to take the lead back 33-31. Ignacio, however, answered right before the quarter ended with a three from Ambrose Valdez to take a one-point lead into the fourth, 34-33.
The Bobcats kept rolling and scored the first four points of the final frame. Peyton clawed back to even the game at 38-38, but another 4-0 run gave Ignacio the lead for good. Trailing by three with 30 seconds left, Peyton had one final chance. Pressure defense from the Bobcats, however, kept Peyton from getting a shot off until right before the final buzzer. It hit the back the of the rim, the front of the rim, and bounced out.
Ignacio (8-15) will next play against the winner of No. 10 The Vanguard School (19-3) and No. 23 The Pinnacle (14-8) in the Region VII championship at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at PHS.
Peyton finishes its season 13-9 overall, which included a Black Forest/Santa Fe League District Tournament title.
