It was exactly the way Durango High School basketball head coach Alan Batiste wanted his team to end the Jerry Richardson Memorial Tournament in Shiprock on Saturday, as the Demons played stout defense and topped Aztec 40-32 to win the tournament.
Durango (4-3) held an opponent to under 40 points for the second time this season, as they also beat Navajo Prep 45-28 on Thursday in the same tournament.
“Our defense was amazing,” said DHS head coach Alan Batiste. “We shut them out completely in the second quarter, and while a lot of their baskets came off of second-chance opportunities, I still thought we played exceptionally well today. We really played well throughout this tournament, and it’s great moving forward.”
The Demons were led by Jordan Woolverton who scored 10 points, and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Martin Cuntz also scored 10 points, and Anthony Flint had eight, as both players were named to the all-tournament team.
“Jordan knows he can be a basketball player, too,” Batiste said. “How he makes plays on the football field, well, it’s the same way on the basketball court. He was a great facilitator. Martin is also starting to find his confidence, and Anthony continues to make smart plays. We’re starting to come together.”
Durango will host Mancos (3-0) at 7:30 p.m. Monday at DHS.
The Bayfield High School boys basketball team could not get shots to fall and fell to Salida 57-39 on the final day of the Buena Vista Tournament.
The Wolverines (1-4) kept it close in the first quarter with a 13-12 deficit, but Salida (2-1) found its offense in the second quarter, outscoring BHS 20-8 and taking a 33-20 lead at halftime. In the second half, Salida picked up where it left off, as the Spartans outscored BHS 24-19 to claim the win.
Statistics were not made available.
Girls Basketball
Girls BasketballThe Durango High School girls basketball team lost both game on the final day at the Pueblo County Holiday Tournament, as the Demons lost to Air Academy, and fell to Pueblo County in the afternoon session.
In the first game against Class 4A No. 3 Air Academy, Durango (3-5) came out fighting, but ultimately fell short in a 48-31 loss. Durango came out strong as Maddy McManus scored seven points in the first quarter, but would score just two more points the rest of the way to lead DHS with nine points. Mason Rowland had five and Sydney Flores had four.
In Game 2 against Pueblo County, DHS had a seven-point deficit heading into the second half down 17-10, but clawed back in the third quarter through timely shooting from Rowland and McManus. The Demons kept it close, but the Hornets (4-4) just pulled out a win despite going 4-of-8 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
DHS was led by Rowland with eight points, McManus had seven and Jael Larson had five.
“It was a good weekend overall for us,” said DHS assistant coach Viki Thyfault. “We’ve played eight games in the last 10 days, and have learned a lot. We definitely saw a lot of growth, and we want to continue moving in the right direction moving forward.”
The Demons will host Mancos (0-4) at 6 p.m. Monday at DHS.
bploen@durangoherald.com
