Make it a perfect 3-0 start for the high-flying Durango High School boys basketball team.
Kyle Kirkpatrick and Steven Wyman made the All-Tournament team, as the Durango Demons beat Red Mesa 63-22 on Saturday afternoon to sweep through the Shiprock Tournament in New Mexico.
“It was a great overall team effort,” Demons head coach Alan Batiste said. “Overall, it’s been a really balanced attack for us so far. The guys are sharing the ball and opening up opportunities for their teammates. The intensity is there at both ends of the floor, so I like what I see.”
The Demons led 34-15 at halftime. They widened the gap in the second half en route to the 41-point blowout. The win extends the team’s perfect record to 3-0.
The Demons did it while entertaining the crowd in Shiprock with several big dunks.
Durango opened the tournament with a 64-32 win against Shiprock Northwest before beating Window Rock 62-57 on Friday.
Next up for the Demons is another tournament trip to New Mexico. DHS will play in the annual Marv Sanders Invitational at Farmington High and will open play against Shiprock at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Two first-quarter leads have yet to result in a victory for the Wolverines.
Facing elite Class 3A competition to open the season at the Herman Schayes Memorial Tournament hosted by Kent Denver, the Bayfield High School boys basketball team fell in both games it played over the weekend.
Saturday, the Wolverines fell 69-48 to The Pinnacle, which received the 11th-most votes in the CHSAA preseason rankings. Bayfield received the 13th most.
The loss came a day after BHS fell to Kent Denver 75-61. Kent Denver is also a top 20 team in the CHSAA rankings.
“We came here to play strong competition off the bat,” BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus said. “It let us know where we are.”
A night after scoring 29 points, Ryan Phelps again led BHS (0-2) with 14 points.
Lehnus’ starting lineup includes three sophomores, and he was impressed by the play of Turner Kennedy and Hayden Farmer.
“I’m pleased with the development this weekend,” Lehnus said. “The defense improved, and we’re getting an understanding of the game at a varsity level.”
Alex Ageno led The Pinnacle with 23 points.
BHS will get right back to playing elite competition next weekend at the Buena Vista Tournament, opening play Friday against Jefferson Academy.
Girls Basketball
Girls BasketballThe Demons are running a new offense this season, but it hasn’t taken much time to take to it.
The Durango High School girls basketball team ran over Steamboat Springs 65-27 on Saturday to improve to 2-0 a day after opening the season with a 46-37 win against Rifle at the Roaring Fork Tournament.
“We’re ahead of where I thought we would be as far as executing offensively,” DHS head coach Tim Fitzpatrick said. “We totally transformed, and we’re getting a lot of clean looks.”
Senior Katrina Chandler, who will play at Colorado Mesa next year, took advantage of those open looks for 26 points. Taylor Edwards had a big game with 17 points, and Lily Chick poured in 10 points off the bench.
“We could’ve had five or six girls in double figures,” Fitzpatrick said. “We’re really spreading the ball around.”
Fitzpatrick said the focus this week was on improved team defense and rebounding, and his team passed the test.
Now, the Demons will get ready to host undefeated Piedra Vista (5-0) at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
After that, DHS will travel to the Pueblo County Lady Hornet Holiday Tournament. The Demons are the two-time defending champions of that annual event.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
