ARCHULETA COUNTY – Deadly from the right wing Friday evening, Marissa Olguin’s three-point accuracy didn’t come as a complete surprise to anyone.
“She’s arguably one of the best shooters we’ve got, and she’s coming into her own,” Ignacio head coach Trae Seibel said, after Olguin cashed two first quarter threes and totaled four to lead his backcourt’s seven-trey effort in a quality 34-33 road win at Pagosa Springs. “The offense that we run is about guards and forwards, and it’s about balance. When (teams) take away our inside, it opens up the outside and gives our outside the opportunity to make some plays.”
Ignacio improved to 6-8 overall, 2-4 3A/4A Intermountain with the win. Pagosa Springs fell to 13-4 overall and 6-1 in the IML
Incredibly, the hosting Lady Pirates never led in the rare home loss, but still had a chance to swipe victory in the closing seconds after junior Kylie Ketchum netted her only basket. Anticipating Pagosa Springs to foul with less than 10 ticks remaining, the Lady Bobcats managed to get the ball to Olguin, who’d already converted two pressure free throws with 0:47.4 left – rebuilding Ignacio’s lead to 34-31.
But even Olguin expressed shock over what happened when an official’s whistle sounded with 0:07.9 to go. Tagged by PSHS freshman reserve Adelyn Hittle, Olguin was prepared to step to the charity stripe … only to find out she’d been called for a five-second backcourt stall. Pagosa Springs wasted little time inbounding near midcourt and hurried the ball ahead to junior Elizabeth Currier.
Beating IHS’ defense, Currier lofted a short-range shot which inexplicably missed the rim and, as time expired, dropped into the hands of Ignacio freshman Maliyah Martinez.
Lady Bobcat senior point guard Darlyn Mendoza-Lechuga got the scoring underway with a three-pointer, and Olguin quickly followed with her first from behind the arch. PSHS junior Karsyn Shahan then drained a triple, invigorating the crowd, but Olguin’s second trey helped IHS take an 11-7 lead into the second quarter.
Senior guard Maci Barnes, vital to shadowing Currier and/or Ketchum all game before fouling out with 2:48 remaining in regulation, started the second with a three-pointer and Mendoza-Lechuga soon followed with a hard drive to the hole – increasing the visitors’ lead to 16-7, before Lady Pirate senior Annie O’Donnell banked in an unexpected straight-on three with 5:07 left until halftime. Seemingly following a pattern of keeping the Lady Pirates at bay, Olguin promptly responded with her third trey and IHS’ led Pagosa Springs 19-15 at intermission.
Shahan brought PSHS back to 19-17 with a layup preceded by a Ketchum steal, but with the pace of play slowing and becoming more calculated, the Lady ’Cats wouldn’t score until Olguin sank her fourth triple with 3:54 left. Barnes would then pick up her fourth personal foul just 14 seconds later, but saved her most crucial contribution for just before she was given her fifth.
Pagosa Springs had closed to 22-21 via a Shahan three, and began the final frame trailing 24-21 after IHS senior Solymar Cosio, double- and sometimes triple-teamed in the paint, struck from inside. Currier then nailed a three with 5:56 left in the game, bringing the Lady Pirates back to 26-24, but with 5:07 left Shahan fouled out vying for a rebound and head coach Sarah Osborn was given a technical foul for disputing the call.
Cosio missed both awarded free throws, but on the ensuing possession, Barnes swished Ignacio’s last three-pointer, putting PSHS down 29-24. Pagosa Springs managed to fight back to 32-31 – via a Currier jumper after Ketchum missed two free throws – but ultimately couldn’t complete the comeback.
Scoring all eight of PSHS’ second-quarter points, O’Donnell also ended up totaling 14 points. From the foul line, Pagosa Springs finished a crippling 2-of-10; Ignacio ended up 3-of-6, and didn’t even attempt a free throw until the fourth.
Mendoza-Lechuga and Barnes each logged eight points.
Ignacio is set to return to action on Saturday, Feb. 3 at Bayfield.
“This is what we wanted,” said Seibel. “And now all the girls have got to do is continue to have confidence in themselves. If they do that they’ll be fine.”
