There were a lot of raindrops falling outside Durango High School, but not many baskets were falling inside the hoop for the Demons’ boys basketball team as they lost at home on Friday to Fruita Monument, 55-22.
In most games this season, the Demons have had the smaller team, and this was the case on Friday. The Demons couldn’t handle Fruita’s length and pressure. Durango struggled to complete a few passes in a row without turning it over. When Durango did hold onto the ball, it held on for a while, struggling to get good looks, and most possessions ended in a contested shot.
Despite the offensive struggles, the Demons’ defense stayed strong as the game slipped away.
“We have to channel in the coaching, and then put it together on the court,” Durango head coach Alan Batiste said. “A lot of times, when things aren't working out as easily for a lot of our players, we tend to revert back to bad habits further than staying the standard that we're trying to cover on offense and on defense. So they're just going to have to figure that out.”
Durango dropped to 4-15 overall and 0-8 in the 6A/5A Southwestern League after its ninth consecutive loss. Junior forward Isaiah Lyons led the Demons with six points.
Fruita improved to 16-5 overall and 7-1 in the 6A/5A Southwestern League. Sophomore Sam Hawkins led the Wildcats with nine points.
The Demons started the game with three consecutive turnovers and turned the ball over five times in their first seven possessions. Fruita had some easy looks inside for a 10-0 lead with 2:30 left.
Durango really struggled to get any offensive set going. The ball handlers were just waiting for something to open inside the arc, but nothing did. The Demons had more turnovers than shots in the first quarter as Fruita kept Durango scoreless and led 13-0 after the first quarter.
It wasn’t far into the second quarter before Durango finally scored. However, the Wildcats continued to score inside with much better spacing than the Demons. Sophomore Miles Jordan had a nice drive and pull-up jumper to end the quarter, but Durango trailed 25-5 at the half.
“Some of them need to take a look in the mirror and realize what works for our whole unit, not just the individual,” Batiste said.
Both teams struggled to score at the beginning of the third. Fruita missed some open 3-pointers, and Durango struggled to move the ball to get good looks. The Demons’ defense was pretty consistent, which was admirable for how much they were struggling on offense. A Lyons put back plus the foul cut Fruita’s lead to 34-12 after three quarters.
“Our defense was excellent, and that was the positive thing that I approached the fourth quarter with,” Batiste said. “I know they scored some buckets later in the fourth, but at the end of the day, we gave up 34 points to their regular squad.”
It looked like a junior varsity game with young guys on both sides getting off the bench to get some minutes. Durango’s reserves showed a lot better movement off the ball, creating multiple good looks and makes.
Durango hosts Grand Junction at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
