Draining 11 3-pointers – including an Amaya Garcia trey with one second left in the first quarter and an Austyn Shawcroft buzzer-beater ending the second – and going 15-of-17 (88.2%) from the free-throw line while getting scoring from seven individuals, Centauri’s capabilities were on full display Saturday.
Unfortunately, the Ignacio Lady Bobcats couldn’t keep pace in a 70-39 loss.
Senior forward/center Harmony Reynolds registered all 11 of IHS’ first quarter points, but CHS – ranked No. 3 in the CHSAANow.com Class 3A Girls’ poll – countered with a collective 20. Senior guard Laci Brunson then scored the home team’s eight second-quarter points, but the visitors amassed 18 in doubling up the ’Cats by halftime.
Garcia, a senior guard, then owned the third quarter – swishing three of her five triples, all three of her free throws and totaling 14 of her game-high 24 points. The Falcons (17-2, 10-0 3A/4A Intermountain) entered the fourth up 62-31.
“I was excited for her,” CHS head coach Troy Reynolds said. “She did a great job of moving the ball, took her shot when it was there. Nothing was forced. She’s had a position change this year, and it’s taken some time for her to get used to playing with the ball instead of off.”
Centauri senior regular Abbey Smith (22 points; four 3-pointers, 6-6 FT) and junior reserve Jaelyn Jackson each nailed a three to begin the final frame, and Garcia netted her final two-pointer as the Falcons flew away. Junior starter Kailyn Polzin and junior reserve Lacey Johnson each contributed seven points, and sophomore Hannah Curtis came off the bench to chip in four.
Reynolds ended up with 19 points for Ignacio (9-9, 3-6 IML) and Brunson registered 14, including eight free throws in 10 tries. Junior Solymar Cosio scored two points and sophomore reserve DaLaney Wesner two (in four free-throw attempts), and junior reserve Grace Pargin came off Trae Seibel’s bench to book a late two-pointer.
Regular-season play wraps up for IHS on Thursday at Montezuma-Cortez.
Powered by senior reserve forward Josh Taylor’s six first quarter points and junior reserve guard Kallon Russell’s first of three 3-pointers, Centauri’s boys built an 18-5 lead through one quarter inside IHS Gymnasium. Despite struggling in the second and fourth quarters as Chris Valdez’s Bobcats attempted to battle back, Larry Mortensen’s No. 4-ranked Falcons (16-3, 8-2 IML) did enough to secure a 50-36 road win.
Taylor finished with a team-high 12 points, as did junior guard Chaz Holman, and Russell totaled nine. Senior Leighton Curtis scored eight points, two via a game-ending breakaway layup off a steal, and junior Kaleb Anderson booked four.
Senior guard Eppie Quintana and junior guard Phillip Quintana (three 3-pointers) each logged 12 points for Ignacio (5-13, 1-8 IML), and junior center/forward Gabe Cox managed eight. Sophomore forward Charlie Pargin came off the bench to contribute three points, and senior forward/center Dylan McCaw scored one.
The Bobcats will next travel Thursday to Montezuma-Cortez to close out regular-season action.
