Last time Bayfield played Pagosa Springs, it took a buzzer-beater from Keyon Prior to secure a 59-56 victory. Tuesday night, it wasn’t as close.
Seeking a big league win to kick off an important week, the Bayfield High School boys basketball team took down the Pagosa Springs Pirates, 67-47.
“It’s gratifying,” BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus said. “Pagosa is always a tough team to beat, and we barely beat them at the buzzer last time at home. We thought we were a better team and could do better. The kids came out and showed we are capable of more and played better defense.”
Ryan Phelps scored 18 points, Hayden Farmer and Prior each had 12, Dax Snooks scored 11 points and Brian Mashak added 10 for a well-rounded scoring performance by the starters of Bayfield (11-6, 7-1 3A Intermountain League).
Phelps added 14 rebounds and five steals, and Snooks had six rebounds from his guard position.
Isaiah Griego once again gave the Wolverines’ defense problems, as the junior scored a game-high 19 points for the Pirates (7-9, 3-5 IML).
BHS built a 23-14 lead after one quarter, as Phelps poured in nine early points. But the scoring slowed considerably in the second quarter. Still, Bayfield led 30-23 at halftime.
The scoring picked up again in the third quarter, with BHS carrying a 49-35 lead into the final 8 minutes of action.
“It’s a bit of rarefied air for us to play with a lead at Pagosa,” Lehnus said. “This was essentially for second place in the league. It was a big game on the road.”
The Wolverines, who are receiving votes and are two spots out of the Class 3A top 10 in the CHSAA poll, will get a chance to avenge their lone loss of the IML schedule at 7 p.m. Friday at home against fourth-ranked Alamosa (15-1, 8-0 IML). Bayfield asks all fans to wear purple to the game.
“Nobody has beat them in years, and we have to beat them by 15 to have a chance to win league,” Lehnus said. ‘The objective is to go beat Alamosa.”
Girls Basketball
Girls BasketballThe seventh-ranked Pirates (12-2, 6-1 IML) had their way with the Wolverines (5-11, 1-6 IML) for the second time this season.
Morgan Lewis scored 28 points to outscore the Bayfield varsity girls basketball team single-handedly. The Pirates led 13-6 at halftime and stretch that lead to 34-9 at halftime.
BHS outscored Pagosa Springs 12-10 in the third quarter, but the Pirates regrouped for a 21-4 fourth-quarter advantage.
The Wolverines had success at the free-throw line, going 15-of-20. Courtney Bayles and Kyle Baker shared the team lead with eight points each. Taylor Morris finished with five.
Next up for the Wolverines is Alamosa at 5:30 p.m. Friday at home.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
