Durango senior Aysia Matthews and Montezuma‑Cortez junior Abigale Baker chase a loose ball during Thursday’s game in The Jungle.Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
Demons’ Goodwin, Alston catch fire in road victory
CORTEZ – Durango head coach Lauren Moran didn’t plan to rely on the three‑ball, but after the Demons hit seven triples in the first half of their 45‑33 win over Montezuma‑Cortez, she wasn’t about to complain.
Durango (8‑6, 1‑1 6A/5A SWL) took control early in the second quarter with its perimeter shooting, putting the Panthers in chase mode the rest of the night.
“We’ve emphasized that we don’t want to rely too much on the three – we want to make sure we’re getting the ball inside,” said Moran, before pausing and adding, “but if the shots are falling, we’re going to go with that.”
Montezuma‑Cortez senior Sariah Jackson drives to the basket against Durango junior Kaleigh Roan on Thursday night in The Jungle.Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
DHS senior Claire Goodwin accounted for four of the seven first‑half three‑pointers, including one at the horn to end the first quarter, before adding a fifth deep bucket in the second half on her way to a game‑high 20 points.
After the teams traded momentum in the early minutes, Durango junior Jaelyn Alston buried three triples of her own in the opening 16 minutes as Durango expanded its four‑point first‑quarter advantage to a 28‑17 lead at the break.
“We were able to limit their runs, and start to expand our own,” said Moran of the decisive stretch.
More aggression at the rim in the second half yielded free throws for the visitors, which helped stabilize the lead after M‑CHS (4‑7, 0‑2 4A/3A IML) posed its biggest comeback threat of the night. Buckets from Panthers freshman Raya Hall, sophomore Kyndall Schmitt and senior Sariah Jackson produced a 7‑0 run to begin the fourth quarter as M‑CHS closed to within 36‑30. Durango cashed in on free throws from senior Ryne Neiman and junior Gracie Fitzpatrick to stem the tide and ensure M‑CHS wouldn’t get any closer.
M-CHS sophomore Kyndall Schmitt works the dribble against the defense of Durango junior Gracie Fitzpatrick in a contest between the Panthers and Demons in The Jungle on Thursday night. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS freshman Raya Hall tussles with Durango senior Aysia Matthews in a contest between the Panthers and Demons in The Jungle on Thursday night. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS senior Kiera Hayes surveys her options in a contest between the Panthers and Durango in The Jungle on Thursday night. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
M-CHS sophomore Mia Glazner prepares to deal with the approaching defense of Durango’s Josie Phare in a contest between the Panthers and Durango in The Jungle on Thursday night. Erika Alvero/Special to The Journal
Jackson’s 14 points paced the Panthers, while Schmitt added six in the defeat. Alston finished with 13 points, while DHS senior Aysia Matthews poured in six points – all in the first half – while adding multiple blocked shots and a rebounding presence that limited M‑CHS to one shot per offensive trip.
“Aysia always plays so hard, even if she doesn’t score a lot – the combination of her length and her quickness makes it hard to score against her,” lauded Moran of her senior post.
For the Demons, a road win over M‑CHS – their 10th straight in the series – helped refocus the group after an up‑and‑down trip to the Grand Valley, where they beat GJ Central before falling to Palisade. A home date with 5A No. 4 Montrose on Saturday, followed by games at Fruita‑Monument and Grand Junction next weekend, will give DHS plenty of chances to strengthen its postseason résumé.
“This win helps show our girls that they can compete with any team in our league,” said Moran. “M‑CHS is a really good team, and they gave Montrose everything they could handle on Tuesday in the Red Hawks’ 45‑34 win in Cortez – so this was really a nice win for us.”
As for M‑CHS, Thursday marked their fourth straight game against high‑quality opponents – and although the Panthers dropped all four, they continued to build confidence in a disciplined defense they believe can keep them competitive with anyone in the region. Head coach M.E. Haley’s team goes to Pagosa Springs on Saturday and returns to The Jungle on Tuesday to face Ignacio.
