Certainly embarrassed by air balling a 3-point attempt during the final seconds of the third quarter Tuesday night in Bayfield, San Juan boys basketball junior Tripp Palmer promptly atoned for his miss by nailing his first try of the fourth frame.
Putting the visitors up 49-45 at the time, Palmer’s make was even more important when considering that after he’d failed to even draw rim, the hosting Wolverines turned the ball back over to the Broncos just outside the 3-point line – allowing senior Jake Ivins to alertly scoop up the ball, spin back toward the basket, and cash a crucial trey putting the Blanding, Utah, boys up 46-43 through 24 completed regulation minutes.
After outscoring BHS 17-5 in the third, wiping out what had been a 38-29 halftime lead for the home team, the Broncos – who’d trailed 22-16 after the first quarter – maintained their pace the rest of the way, with a one-handed breakaway dunk by Palmer effectively punctuating a 61-47 road win.
“At halftime, obviously, we recognized the area we had to adjust: Shutting down their threes,” SJHS head coach Easton Nielson said. “Our guys came out good and executed in the second half; they got box outs, had hands in (Bayfield’s) faces – they made those guys work.”
Palmer finished with a game-high 18 points, including six during the opening eight minutes and nine during the closing eight. Ivins totaled 14 points and senior Jaiten Knight 11.
“On the offensive side, we started to convert more opportunities and gave ourselves a chance to take the lead,” said Nielson. “That three at the end of the third quarter, especially, gave us a lot of momentum going into the fourth. Gave us a lead we had been searching for, for a long time! We’d been waiting for a shot to fall, had a lot of good looks in the first half that just didn’t go in, and (Ivins’ three) was kind of one of the big things that kind of got the flood going.”
Junior Kingston Martinez sank three treys and totaled a BHS-best 15 points, but he and senior Cooper Roderick (five points) were both held scoreless after intermission as the Wolverines (5-4 overall) were denied a fourth consecutive victory.
From the free-throw line, the Wolverines were 3-of-3 while the Broncos ended up 14-of-22.
BHS hosts 4A Alamosa (2-7) on Friday as both sides begin Intermountain League work.
BOBCATS SLAM SARGENT: Earning their third straight win beginning 2025, the Ignacio Bobcats traveled on the 14th out to 2A Sargent, and defeated the Farmers 68-41.
SHS actually led 13-11 after one quarter, but IHS (7-4 overall) took charge in the second and went into halftime ahead 31-23. After a tight third quarter, the 3A ’Cats sealed the deal by winning the fourth 19-4.
Individual statistics for Ignacio have not been reported as of press time.
Senior Lucas Garcia led Sargent (3-5) with 12 points, senior Fernando Venzor notched nine.
IHS, meanwhile, will begin league work on Saturday at home against 4A Pagosa Springs.
