Conserving energy until the final eight minutes of the first of two 2A/1A San Juan Basin League tests Saturday morning versus visiting Ridgway, the Ignacio Bobcats broke a slowly played 28-28 tie through three quarters to earn a nine-point win inside IHS Gymnasium, 45-36.
Finding his three-point range during the third, Demon junior Canyon Ishikawa (16 points) first brought RHS level at 26-26 with a three-pointer, then earned the guests their only lead, 28-26, with a hard two-point take to the hole. IHS senior Gabe Tucson, however, retied the score at 28 with two free throws and only 0.4 seconds left on the clock. Sophomore Devante Montoya then put Ignacio back out front, 31-28, early in the fourth with a trey.
Sophomore Phillip Quintana and freshman Coty Webb also struck once each from long range, and Tucson converted a 1-and-1 opportunity with 9.1 seconds remaining to clinch victory, though RHS’ Cooper Ahern (nine points) capped the scoring with an up-and-under layup at the other end just before the buzzer.
Tucson totaled a game-high 19 points, while sophomore Gabe Cox provided strong rebounding and nine points. Quintana finished with five points, but junior Eppie Quintana was held to four while slowed by fouls.
In the second round Saturday afternoon, Ignacio scored a second win over Ridgway 52-38.
Attempting to hang with Ignacio without four varsity team members, Ridgway held an 8-6 lead through one quarter but trailed 20-19 at halftime. Winning the third quarter 18-7, the ’Cats gave themselves room for a season sweep of the Demons.
IHS improved to 11-5 overall (6-2 SJBL, 4-2 2A SJBL) before a Feb. 15 nonleague trip to 2A Del Norte. RHS fell to 3-12 (1-10 SJBL, 0-7 2A SJBL).
Capitalizing on the hosting Wolverines’ second-quarter stall, CHSAANow.com’s No. 6-ranked Centauri Falcons flew into halftime owning a 15-point lead, en route to a 27-point road victory Saturday at BHS, 62-35.
Bayfield junior center/forward Caden Wood booked six of his game-high 13 points – including 5-of-5 work from the free-throw line – during the third quarter as the Wolverines (6-12, 2-6 3A Intermountain) attempted to rally. But CHS (17-1, 6-1) got scoring from six players during the same stanza and took it by an 18-14 margin – allowing Centauri to enter the final frame up 48-29.
With three three-pointers to his name, Falcon senior guard Baron Holman ably matched Wood’s 13 points, and was supported well by sophomore forward Kaleb Anderson (12 points) and senior guard Mason Claunch (10), plus junior reserve Leighton Curtis (10; eight during the second half).
Junior Lance Mazur managed seven points for BHS, and senior Isaac Ross six via two treys. The Wolverines will next host Montezuma-Cortez in the IML District Tournament’s all-or-nothing “pigtail” game next Tuesday at 6 p.m. Centauri, meanwhile, will wrap up regular-season IML play Tuesday at home against Alamosa (12-5, 5-2).
Closing out visiting Centauri’s first-half scoring with a three-pointer, then restarting the Lady Falcons’ offense after intermission with another, junior guard Abbey Smith totaled four treys – three in the third quarter – and booked a game-high 18 points as CHS returned to La Jara having claimed a 38-point road victory over Bayfield 59-21.
Down 15-5 after the opening eight minutes, the Lady Wolverines (1-17, 0-8 3A Intermountain) managed to stay in contention going into halftime, trailing 26-14 thanks to 5-of-6 free-throw shooting – Bayfield would end up 7-of-10 at the charity stripe – and a combined seven points from senior center Abby Tate and senior guard Jordan Martindale.
Unfortunately, junior guard Amaya Garcia complemented Smith’s 11 third-quarter points with eight herself as the Lady Falcons (11-7, 6-1) controlled the quarter 23-4 and coasted into the home stretch leading 49-18. Garcia finished with 16 points, and CHS also got strong bench contributions from sophomore Lacey Johnson (seven points) and freshman Hannah Curtis (six), plus six points from senior starter Dyani Ojeda.
Responsible for Bayfield’s third-quarter offensive output, Tate tallied a BHS-best 13 points. Junior Alaysia Kremer chipped in four, Martindale three and freshman Renae Foutz one.
Centauri will wrap up regular-season IML play Tuesday at home against Alamosa (10-6, 5-1), with the Mean Moose still needing to face M-CHS – Bayfield’s known opponent in the upcoming IML District Tournament’s “pigtail” game – once more.
