Not being awarded a free throw - despite much resistance obstructing numerous intrusions to the hoop - until only 4:34 remained in Monday night's visit to Blanding, Utah, there was definitely a possible reason why the Bayfield boys couldn't complete two incredible comebacks in a 61-49 loss.
Ultimately, the two greatest reasons wore San Juan uniforms - and were about the only two Broncos the Wolverines struggled to corral in the Beehive State.
With nine first-quarter points, 6'3" senior wing Jordan Blake helped SJHS break out to an 18-6 lead after one quarter, wiping out BHS' quick 4-0 start as the visitors' outside shooting went ice-cold.
BHS amazingly responded in the second, energized by sophomore Hayden Farmer's sudden 10-point ignition, and built a 29-26 halftime advantage.
San Juan started the third quarter with 6'6" senior forward/center Zach Brown becoming more effective inside as SJHS sprinted into the third on a 19-2 run and gained a vengeful 45-31 upper hand.
"They're a very good team," said Bayfield head coach Jeff Lehnus.
"And that's the way we designed this schedule - to play tough teams...on the road, too - in terms of facing adversity and being able to fight through it.
"Despite some things, we still could have won the game. And that always has to be the focus, because if you focus too much on reffing then it kind of gives you an 'out' and you don't work at things you need to work at."
And for all their own aggressive play, San Juan was granted just nine free-throw tries (making only six). BHS finished just 3-of-4 from the foul line, but after senior Brian Mashak made the squad's initial attempt, they found themselves trailing by a vulnerable 49-43 margin.
Seconds later it shrank to 49-45 as sophomore Turner Kennedy easily rebounded Mashak's off-line second shot and deposited it for a morale-boosting three-point play. But after a disputed call gave Mashak his fifth personal foul, disqualifying him with 0:53 left, the Broncos (6-1, 0-0 UHSAA Region 15) rode away for good.
Driving for six more points in the frame, Blake finished with a game-best 22 points. Brown racked up 13 and junior guard Jaden Torgerson stealthily booked nine - including a vital trey early in the third quarter after the Wolverines (3-3, 0-0 CHSAA 3A Intermountain) had clawed back to 33-31.
"Our goal tonight was to show that we could go to a very good team's house and play a good ball game," Lehnus said. "Overall, I was pleased with the effort, the response, and we had our chance. Things could have went different, but they didn't. We battled, did some good things, and we'll just continue to work and progress."
Coming in off a 65-43 defeat of 1A Monticello, Utah, inside BHS Gymnasium two nights earlier, Bayfield got an impressive 15 points against SJHS from sophomore guard Keyon Prior.
Hounded constantly during a scoreless fourth quarter, Farmer finished with 12 and junior center/forward Ryan Phelps - who got the Buckaroos for a team-best 13 - six. Mashak contributed five points, as did junior reserve McKay Wells, whose triple beginning the second quarter triggered the Wolverines' first great rally.
"Better rebounding, better care of the basketball - I could rattle off a list of the things we're going to get better at," said Lehnus.
"When we come back from the New Year playing some more tough teams - we'll have Kirtland, then we'll have Ignacio and Durango - it doesn't get easy.
"But this is why we do what we do; we're only going to get better if we do that. That's what these games will challenge us to do."
TIDBITS: Prior had 12 points against MHS, Farmer logged nine, and Wells also contributed nine - all numbers more or less replicated against San Juan (who was to visit Monticello on Thursday). Readying themselves to welcome Bayfield - originally a Dec. 16 date, postponed by weather - the Broncos had amassed 159 points and allowed just 68 in a Dec. 13-14 sweep of in-state 1A's Monument Valley and Green River.
