The Ignacio High School boys basketball team had made a pact going into the final eight days of the regular season. They wanted to win all four games and try to get in a position for a top-eight seed to earn a bye in the first round of the CHSAA Class 2A state tournament.
The Bobcats did their job after a 76-39 in the regular-season finale Saturday at Telluride, and now they will await their seeding when brackets are released Monday.
“We were only worried about winning the last four games. Then, we would let the computers decide where we’re going and who we play next,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez said. “We can be satisfied wherever it is. I think we deserve a top-eight spot. If we get it, we get it. If not, then we will play Tuesday. But I would be upset if Mancos got it, but they might get it.”
IHS was able to go undefeated in the 2A/1A San Juan Basin League at 10-0 with a 12-2 overall record. The lone losses came to fifth-ranked Sanford, 54-48 on the road in the season opener, and to Class 3A Bayfield, which is on the playoff bubble in its classification.
“We wanted to go undefeated in our league. That’s how we wanted to run it this year,” Valdez said. “Our guys responded well, played real hard.”
IHS actually trailed 13-6 on Saturday before heating up and taking a 20-13 lead after one quarter. IHS would make 11 shots from 3-point range in the contest two days after hitting 11 more against Dove Creek.
Bryce Finn scored 20 points, Gabe Tucson added 18 and Brady McCaw scored 16 to lead the Bobcats.
“We wanted to put pressure on our guys to win this game and go stretch the lead a bit so our younger guys could go out and play in the second half,” Valdez said. “We know we can’t just coast through a game and then just turn it back on Tuesday. Our guys did what they needed to do, and the younger kids got a few minutes in the game.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
