Saturday afternoon was one to remember for the Durango High School basketball teams as they faced off against Southwestern League rivals Fruita Monument.
The Class 4A Demons girls team began the day by upsetting the state’s Wildcats – who are ranked sixth in 5A – and did so emphatically by leading the game wire-to-wire en route to a 42-36 win. Not to be outdone, the Durango boys got off to a rough start but overcame the adversity to avenge a previous loss to Fruita and win 50-40.
“Fruita has such a good program, and this is a turning point for us because it really proves that we can compete at the highest level,” Durango head coach Tim Fitzpatrick said. “The girls came to play from the start. The defensive intensity was everything I’ve hoped to see from this group all season.”
Hilda Garcia continued her progress for Durango and led the team with 12 points. Katrina Chandler scored 11 and Taylor Edwards finished with nine. Jordan Baker was huge off the bench knocking down two 3-pointers for the second consecutive game for the Demons (14-7, 4-2 4A/5A SWL).
Durango’s defense allowed only 10 points in the first half and led by five at the break. Though the Wildcats (19-2, 6-1 SWL) made adjustments at halftime and had much more success on offense in the second half, Garcia’s 10 points in the final 16 minutes allowed DHS to hang onto the lead.
Chandler was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line in the second half, which helped DHS put the game away.
“We just keep getting better and better,” Baker said. “We’re playing as a team and, if we can do that, I think we can make a run pretty deep in the state tournament.”
The Durango boys fell behind 12-3 early, and it wasn’t looking good as versatile big man Steven Wyman was sent to the bench with two early fouls. However, Wyman played it safe and stayed on the floor as the Demons (17-3, 4-2 SWL) chipped away.
They tied the game by halftime and scored the first seven points in the second half to build a lead, and they finished it off with a 50-40 win.
Wyman scored 17 points, and Kyle Kirkpatrick poured in 16. Javier Quezada stepped up for the second game in as many days and provided a much-needed boost with 10 points in the win. If the Demons can get consistent contributions from a third source, they’ll be tough to beat, and Quezada delivered the performance they needed Saturday.
When the Wildcats (10-12, 3-4 A SWL) came back to tie the game at 37, Quezada nailed a 3-pointer that put DHS ahead for good.
“That’s always going to be a key for us to get that third person involved,” Durango head coach Alan Batiste said. “It could be any one of four or five guys, and this time it was Javy. I’m just really proud of the way we bounced back after that early start. It was different in a few games earlier this year when we got down, so that’s progress.”
jfries@durangoherald.com
