Blocked shots, stout zone defense and made 3-pointers sent the Ignacio High School basketball fans into a frenzy Tuesday night.
The Ignacio High School boys basketball (4-1, 3-0 San Juan Basin League) team turned a 17-7 lead after one quarter into a 38-9 halftime lead after head coach Chris Valdez switched from a man defense to a zone that confused the visiting Bluejays (6-2).
“They scouted us the last two games last weekend in Cortez,” coach Valdez said of Mancos. “We ran nothing but zone over there. So we came out man tonight. It was 17-7 in the first quarter, and they got used to it, so we went zone in the second quarter and they couldn’t score on it. It worked and kept their big guy from doing much inside.”
Mancos’ big guy, 6-foot-4 sophomore Caden Showlalter, is the best big man in the league according to coach Valdez. He scored eight points in the fourth quarter to finish with 16 points, but the Bobcats were pleased with their ability to keep him quiet.
“We haven’t been doing a good job, I don’t think, of rebounding as a team this year,” coach Valdez said. “The bigs did a great job of that tonight and didn’t back down. (Showalter) is by far the best in the league. It was nice to keep him from having a big night.”
Kai Roubideaux had a huge night for Ignacio with 14 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and two steals. Johnny Valdez had a game-high 23 points to go with four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Lawrence Valdez finished with 13 points, five assists and four steals. Ocean Hunter was big in the post with eight points, six rebounds and three assists.
Caleb Yoder scored five of Mancos’ seven points in the first quarter but picked up three personal fouls in the second quarter. He finished with five points.
Johnny Valdez made back-to-back 3s near the end of the first quarter, and Lawrence Valdez added a layup at the buzzer with a perfect 30-foot bounce pass from Roubideaux through traffic to create the opportunity.
In the second quarter, Cole McCaw, who didn’t score a point in the win but played a huge role on defense, recored a big blocked shot on a Mancos 3-point attempt. Roubideaux turned the block into two quick points, and the Ignacio crowd roared. The next Mancos trip down the floor, Hunter got a rejection that triggered a Johnny Valdez three-point play. Roubideaux added a one-on-one rejection in the quarter that gave Lawrence Valdez a breakaway, and the rout was on.
“In the locker room at halftime, we were up 29 points, and I asked the guys if Cole (McCaw) had not been on the floor if we would be up 29, and everyone said no,” coach Valdez said. “Scoring isn’t the only column we look at. Cole McCaw was everywhere, getting tips, creating steals for others with his great defense. He didn’t score one point but knows he did his job.”
Ignacio will play Jan. 5 at Bayfield and will get back senior guard Kruz Pardo, who was required by Ignacio school rule to miss one third of the season for quitting another sport. He quit baseball last spring.
“Kruz is as good as our top five, so to add a sixth player at that level is going to be big,” coach Valdez said. “We have a lot to learn to get him in and out of the game, but getting him back will make us that much better.”
Girls Basketball
Girls BasketballMorgan Herrera was as sharp as ever in her second game of the season after she returned from a concussion.
The Ignacio High School sophomore scored 19 points and had 12 rebounds Tuesday night in the Bobcats’ 67-10 thumping of Mancos (0-7, 0-2 SJBL). Ignacio improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in league play under first-year head coach Trae Seibel.
“We came out a slow in the first quarter,” Seibel said. “It was only our second home game of the five we’ve played, so the girls coming out a little sluggish was expected, but the girls responded well in the second quarter.”
Ignacio’s girls had a 23-0 second quarter to take a 36-4 lead at halftime. The lead stretched to 58-10 after three quarters. Ignacio held Mancos scoreless in the fourth quarter.
Avionne Gomez added 15 points for Ignacio, Shelcie Gosney had 11 points and Allisianna Baker-Marquez finished with nine. Emily Cole led Mancos with seven points, and Kiana Valdez rejected a Cole 3-point attempt to end the game.
Ignacio will be off until it will host Bayfield on Jan. 9.
Jordan Lanning had 22 points to double the scoring of Telluride as a team.
The Bayfield High School player scored a game-high 22 points in Bayfield’s 54-11 win Monday against Telluride.
Savannah Kaufmann added 10 points for Bayfield (2-4). The Wolverines led 18-4 after one quarter and 34-7 at halftime. The lead was 46-10 after three quarters.
Bayfield will visit Ignacio (5-0) at 7 p.m. Jan. 9
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
