Telluride took a quick 2-0 lead after winning the game’s opening tipoff Saturday against the Ignacio High School girls basketball team. The Miners’ lead was short lived.
Ignacio (9-4, 6-2 2A/1A San Juan Basin League) mounted a 23-0 run before Telluride scored another basket and would cruise to a 56-18 victory to snap a three-game losing skid to end the regular season.
“It was a good redemption day for the girls,” said IHS head coach Justa Whitt. “We usually could expect to win the game, but we are not expecting to win anything from here on out. You have to work for what you get. It was definitely a good outcome today, a nice strong game, and now we will look to get good rest this weekend and be ready to go Monday when we figure out where we are in the bracket.”
Even with the two losses, Ignacio sits No. 14 in the CHSAA RPI. That factored with the CHSAANow.com coaches poll and the MaxPreps.com rankings will determine state seeding when brackets are released Monday.
Whitt expects the Bobcats to have to earn a top-16 seed and earn a first-round home game. The top-eight teams get a first-round bye.
“We are hoping to stay under that 16 mark and get a home game Tuesday,” she said. “That gives us a bit of help to get more recovered and ready to go rather than a travel day.”
Jayden Brunson led IHS with 18 points on Saturday. Laci Brunson finished with 13, and Charlize Valdez added eight.
Whitt said ever facet of the Bobcats’ game will have to improve when the playoffs begin.
“You have to do everything you can to the best of your ability,” she said. “We’ve done little things wrong, and it’s time to do those right. It’s time to play our game and not let people get us out of it. We have to come with confidence and know we can play our game and stick with that.
“It’s a new season now. We basically just finished our preseason. That’s how we’re going to look at it. We are ready to tackle each game as it comes. You gotta win to stay in.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
