BUENA VISTA - Somehow able to recover from a 20-0 Salida run on Day 1, the Bayfield boys' basketball team couldn't sneak in a late basket to complete a comeback against Middle Park on Day 2 of the Dec. 7-8 Buena Vista Demon Invitational. The Wolverines finished the event 1-1 after falling 49-47 to the Granby-based Panthers.
MPHS senior Jackson Wolle sank a three-pointer with about five seconds left for what would go down as the winning shot. BHS' Hayden Farmer then attempted to slyly score after catching his own inbounds pass - bounced off an unaware Panther's back - underneath the basket.
His shot was successful, but overtime inside the Dorothea Wille P.E. Complex was denied as the officials ruled the senior forward had not fully set both feet in bounds before making contact again with the ball he'd just put in play.
Junior forward Ethan Morris led the Wolverines with 15 points, while senior guard Briant Cuellar finished with eight points. Junior guard James Mottin netted six points while Farmer and senior center Matt McSweeney each finished with five.
Wolle totaled nine points for Middle Park, which had led 18-15 after one quarter, 32-24 at halftime, and 44-31 after three quarters before Bayfield's closing rally - led by nine Morris points - began in earnest.
"Defensively, it was rough in the first half, and we changed it up and improved for the final two quarters," head coach Klint Chandler said. "We battled back to take the lead, but it was tough way to lose. But I liked our effort. We just have some things we need to keep working on to get better each day."
Bayfield raced out to a 15-4 lead against Salida after eight minutes, courtesy two Cuellar breakaway layups in the first quarter's waning seconds. Bayfield went scoreless in the second until Farmer tipped in a missed shot with just 2:05 left. He then rattled in a three the very next possession, cutting the Spartans' shockingly-sudden lead down to 24-20. Salida went into the locker room leading 28-22 as SHS senior Jordan Reed booked six points of his team-high 14.
Wolverine senior guard Turner Kennedy sparked the squad's comeback with six third-quarter points. After going into the final frame down 34-32, Bayfield pulled away with senior guard Keegan Owens coming off the bench and scoring nine of his 12 points. Farmer also totalled a dozen, while Kennedy registered a game-best 15.
Up next, Bayfield (3-2, 0-0 3A Intermountain) will travel to Blanding, Utah, on Friday, Dec. 14, to face 3A San Juan (2-2, 0-0 UHSAA Region 15) at 7 p.m.
The Wolverines will then host 5A Farmington the following evening.
Seeking their first win of the young 2018-19 season, the Bayfield girls (0-3, 0-0 Intermountain) also traveled to the Invitational but left wanting after falling 52-24 to Gunnison and 32-28 to Middle Park.
Guard Maddy Oltmanns led BHS with 11 points against GHS, including a bank-shot three as the third quarter inside Darren Patterson Christian Academy Gymnasium expired. Center Macee Schultz scored five points and guard/forward Aubree Farmer four. Senior guard Tymbree Florian was held to just two points, as was sophomore guard Madison Wells.
On Day 2 against Middle Park, BHS played to a 4-4 tie after eight minutes and 11-11 after sixteen, then actually took an 18-17 lead into the fourth quarter.
