Twenty-six points from Kyle Kirkpatrick trumped 30 Durango High turnovers.
The Demons won 62-57 against Window Rock in the second game of the Shiprock Tournament in New Mexico. Kirkpatrick drove to the basket for layups and shot the ball extremely well to lead the Demons.
“We did excellent offensively,” DHS head coach Alan Batiste said. “But we had 30 turnovers. That was the difference in us not being able to pull away. I would say 90 percent of those turnovers were on us, not so much their defense. If you turn it over 30 times and escape with a win, you’ll take it.”
The Demons (2-0) got another 13 points from Steven Wyman, and Kobe Szura added eight.
DHS will play Red Mesa at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to finish the Shiprock Tournament.
In the season opener, Ryan Phelps dropped 29 points but couldn’t get the Wolverines past a good Kent Denver team.
The Wolverines (0-1) led 17-9 after one quarter but trailed 35-28 at halftime before falling 75-61.
“We have three sophomores in the starting lineup,” BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus said. “We saw a lot of positive things, but we had a stretch where we didn’t score, and they created separation.”
Lehnus was pleased with the defensive effort but wants to see his team find some more balanced scoring.
BHS will play Pinnacle in the second round of the tournament Saturday in Denver.
Girls Basketball
Girls BasketballKatrina Chandler scored 12 points, and Taylor Edwards scored 11, as the Durango High School girls basketball team opened the season with a 46-37 win against Rigle at the Roaring Fork Tournament.
Stephanie Bayse added another nine points for the Demons (1-0), who will face Steamboat Springs at 1 p.m. Saturday.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
