Nobody who witnessed the Bayfield High School boys basketball game Friday will ever forget what they saw.
It started with a 16-point deficit in the third quarter to yet another private school foe, No. 9 Jefferson Academy, continued with a game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer by a freshman and ended with a jaw-dropping 55-51 overtime victory.
When Friday’s CHSAA Class 3A State Basketball Championships consolation bracket game was finished, the No. 28 Bayfield boys had defeated their second private school of the state tournament and added to a mantle that already included wins against the No. 5 and No. 12 teams in the bracket.
The Wolverines (14-11) did it all one day after a heart-breaking 16-point loss to No. 4 Colorado Academy. Bayfield senior star Preston Hardy fractured his hand late in that game, and the Wolverines never recovered. Friday, the whole team rallied together to make up for his absence.
“This was a special game for a lot of reasons,” BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus said. “Getting over the disappointment of (Thursday’s) game and losing of our best players and not finishing the game we would’ve liked to. Realizing we had to play another private school – one we lost to earlier in the year by 13 – and being down 16 points in the third quarter and struggling to score.
“Finding the heart, character and willingness to keep believing despite all of that, hitting a 3 with 1 second on the clock to send it to overtime and then winning the game. It was a really, really special game that won’t be forgotten by those who were here in quite a while.”
Freshman center Ryan Phelps would have been the least likely Wolverine to knock down a crucial 3-pointer from the top of the key. He wasn’t even the team’s first option on the potential game-tying shot. Senior Conner Kennedy missed the Wolverines’ first attempt, but junior Zane Phelps was right there to haul in the rebound on the short shot. He had the presence of mind to see Bayfield still had time on the clock for one more shot. He dribbled the ball back behind the 3-point line, passed it to his cousin, Ryan Phelps, who put up a perfect shot as time expired to tie the game.
“I’m just glad Zane got the rebound and passed it to me,” Ryan Phelps said. “It was just another shot, basically.”
But it wasn’t just another shot in the eyes of his teammates. It represented new life.
“It was a huge thing for him to do,” Zane Phelps said.
“Right when he hit that shot, that just totally drove us right into overtime,” Kennedy added. “The other team seemed like they knew they lost right there, even before overtime started.”
Bayfield only scored 12 points in the first half, but it was the team’s defense that held the Wolverines together through that rough patch. Ryan Phelps had 13 rebounds to go with his seven points, and the Wolverines snagged nine steals, seven coming down the stretch at crucial times.
“We pride ourselves in defense and team-ness, as well as rebounding. Our defense buckled down. Our goal always is to hold a team to 48 points, and we held them to 51, including overtime,” Lehnus said. “That’s what gave us a chance when our offense was clinging to life. It’s what we’ve worked toward all year, to be a true team as an offensive and defensive unit.”
The Wolverines did it all without a 20-point scoring threat. Instead, Bayfield had three players finish in double figures.
Zane Phelps had a team-high 13 points, Trevor Gabbard scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and Dillon Hoselton scored 11 points on a 5-of-10 shooting day. Off the bench, junior Taed Heydinger added eight big points, six of which came from behind the 3-point line in the second half.
Bayfield shot 5-of-12 from behind the 3-point line in the game.
Ryan Phelps added four blocked shots to go with his seven points and 13 rebounds.
“We’re watching a freshman blossom before our eyes and in a very big stage. It’s exciting for our future, too,” Lehnus said.
Lehnus dispelled thoughts that Ryan Phelps’ buzzer-beater was a “lucky shot.” He said great teams make their own luck.
“Some people would call Ryan’s shot lucky. I don’t believe in that,” he said. “Certain players or certain teams tend to be more lucky than others, but the fact is we missed a shot, gathered the rebound and had the awareness to not panic. Call it luck all you want, but having the intelligence and awareness to create that shot precedes that. We made our own luck, even in that moment.”
Bayfield reached the quarterfinals of the state tournament for the first time since 1986. It beat No. 5 The Pinnacle and No. 12 Eaton in the regional rounds to reach the “Great 8,” and beating No. 9 Jefferson Academy (18-8) was another feather in the cap of the small-town school.
“The accomplishments are special because we’ve shown a public school can come up here and win against two private schools,” Lehnus said. “It’s a challenge to do that. They are tough and have a lot going for them.
“I’m a Bayfield guy, and so it is very special for me, and I know it is for everyone in our town. This team has really united our small community.”
Bayfield has one more game to play this season, and it is against a familiar foe. The Wolverines will face Intermountain League champion and rival Alamosa in the fifth-place game at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Golden. The Mean Moose have beat the Wolverines three times this season – 63-42, 75-62 and 52-49 – with the last loss coming in the first round of the district tournament. Since then, the Wolverines have united to keep the season going as long as they could, and it all started by winning the district tournament’s third-place game against Centauri that gave the Wolverines a spot in the state tournament.
“After that loss to Alamosa, we all talked about being the team to turn around from that the right way and how it would determine the outcome of the rest of our season,” Hoselton said. “That mind-set of how we responded to that carried over to this game.”
Zane Phelps said there is no other team the Wolverines would rather play in the fifth-place game than Alamosa. He said it’s the right time for his team to finally beat the No. 7 Mean Moose (19-6).
Gabbard and the rest of the seniors are relishing the chance to play one more game with their lifelong friends.
“We’ve wanted to extend the season as long as we can, and now we’re down to one game,” Gabbard said. “I love my team, and it’s been great to endure this season with them. We’ve been focused on progress all year. We’re playing a team that has beat us three times, but we’re finally playing as a team at the peak of our season. One last game.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
