Pagosa Springs looked every bit like the No. 6 team in the state Friday night in Bayfield.
The Pirates’ girls basketball team (9-1, 3-0 3A Intermountain League), ranked No. 6 in the latest CHSAA poll, dominated the first quarter to the tune of a 21-1 lead. It only continued the rest of the night in a 50-25 win.
BHS couldn’t deal with the athleticism and experience of a program 45 minutes east that routinely competes for state championships.
“It would be nice if we could start every game like that,” Pagosa Springs head coach Wes Lewis said. “I was really proud of both ends of the floor. Defense was good. The transition was good, and it was a really nice start to the game.”
Without their leading scorer from a year ago, current sophomore Tymbree Florian, the Wolverines (3-8, 0-3 IML) have struggled to find options on the offensive end of the floor, especially against athletic teams with height. The Wolverines turned it over 10 times in the first half and shot 2-of-13 from the field in the first half.
Courtney Bayles led BHS with 10 points, and Chloe Weybright had seven with two steals for breakaway layups.
Still, the Wolverines have given a gritty effort each night and have found defensive success. They held Pagosa Springs to nine points in the second quarter and did much better in the rebounding department in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Pirates received a big game from Morgan Lewis, who scored 14 of her game-high 17 points in the first half. She also finished with double-digit rebounds.
Devin Wilson also made her presence felt. She scored nine points in the opening 8 minutes and finished with 12.
“We’re still putting in some new things to get ready for our other league opponents and the postseason,” Lewis said. “We could’ve stayed with our old familiar stuff and put up more points, but we’re working on a few things. When you play that well in the first quarter, it’s a good chance to do that.”
BHS will hit the road early Saturday morning for a 1:30 p.m. game at Alamosa.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
