Wolverines toe the line to win their pigtail game

Monday, Feb 24, 2014 5:01 PM Updated Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2014 3:21 PM

Bayfield beats Monte Vista to get to No. 2 Pagosa Springs

Haley Clarke and Andrea Zelinski were excited their season will last at least one more game. The Bayfield High School girls basketball team defeated Monte Vista 38-36 on Tuesday night in Bayfield.

Steve Lewis/Durango Herald

Possession was in doubt for much of Tuesday’s game for Carrie Yost and the Bayfield High School girls basketball team. The Wolverines turned the ball over 29 times, and Monte Vista gave it away 32 times.

Steve Lewis/Durango Herald

The Wolverines outrebounded the Pirates 40-16 in their pigtail game against Monte Vista on Tuesday night at Bayfield High School. Jaida Ross, left, led the team with 14, while Haley Clarke had six and Jessie Roukema nine in their 38-36 postseason victory.

Steve Lewis/Durango Herald

Andrea Zelinski made one of two free throws with 16.1 seconds left to give BHS a 37-36 lead, its first of the game. The Wolverines hit 23 free throws in the game to seal their win in the first round of the Intermountain League tournament.

Steve Lewis/Durango Herald

BHS could let out a sigh of relief after beating Monte Vista 38-36 on Tuesday in the first round of the IML tournament. Haley Clarke, Jaida Ross, Jessie Roukema and Andrea Zelinski all hit late free throws to give the team a lead and to help the team keep it.

Steve Lewis/Durango Herald

BAYFIELD – The free throw line hasn’t been kind to the Bayfield High School girls basketball team this season.

It decided to give the Wolverines a break in their 38-36 win over Monte Vista on Tuesday night at BHS in the Intermountain League Tournament pigtail game.

Andrea Zelinski made one of two free throws with 16.1 seconds left to give BHS a 37-36 lead, its first of the game.

That came after Jessie Roukema tied the game with 1 minute, 24 seconds left with a free throw of her own.

“Having all that pressure on me, it made me relax,” said Roukema, daughter of Jerrin and Shane Roukema. “I really needed to show my team that I can step up and be a leader.”

Roukema scored nine points and grabbed nine rebounds while making 7-of-16 free throws.

The Wolverines shot 23-of-42 from the line on the evening.

“It was really encouraging for us,” said Haley Clarke, daughter of Simon and Tica Clarke. “We’ve been working on our free throws a lot in practice, but when it really came down to it, it was really about how much heart each one of us had.”

That also showed on the boards.

BHS (7-11, 2-7 IML) outrebounded Monte Vista (7-12, 1-8 IML) 40-16 in the game.

Jaida Ross led the Wolverines with 14 boards and 12 points for a double-double.

“Without those rebounds, with our team, I don’t think we would have done as great as we did,” Roukema said. “And considering their team is 10 times shorter, we should be (outrebounding them).”

The Pirates had a chance to win the game with 13.1 seconds left, but Courtney Christensen missed a shot at the right elbow with 4.9 seconds remaining.

BHS trailed 21-19 at halftime and 31-24 at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Wolverines outscored Monte Vista 14-5 in the final frame to steal a win and keep their season alive.

“We all just went as hard as we could,” Clarke said. “There really wasn’t a specific defense.”

Bayfield’s victory set up a showdown with CHSAANow.com Class 3A No. 2 Pagosa Springs on Friday in the IML semifinals.

Pagosa Springs (19-0, 8-0 IML) handled the Wolverines in both regular-season meetings, winning by an average of 27.5 points per game.

“We kind of know what to expect now, so we can’t have any mental breakdowns,” BHS head coach Bri Simbeck said. “We’ve got to play a full four quarters of our best.”

kgrabowski@durangoherald.com