As cheers rained down from the stands after the Montezuma-Cortez girls basketball team defeated Monte Vista, 62-50, on Jan. 25, Brianna Comisky took a step back and took it all in.
Less than two hours earlier, the M-CHS freshman had pulled on a varsity uniform for the first time in anticipation of what would be the biggest game of her life against tougher competition than she had ever faced.
While many players would have been shaken, Comisky shook off any nerves that she might have had and played like a seasoned veteran while scoring 13 total points and helping her team secure its first Intermountain League victory this season.
“At first, I was really nervous, and then I was just like, ‘calm down.’” Comisky said. “Then I just thought that I’d just work my heart out and see what happened. I did my best.”
While Comisky’s heroics coming off the bench were an unexpected storyline from the exciting night, Paige Yarbrough’s dominance in the paint was as important as anything in M-CHS’ victory as the sophomore scored a game-high 15 points.
With her team trailing 14-9 early in the second quarter, Yarbrough took over with an offensive rebound that led to an old-fashioned three-point play, and eight points over the rest of the quarter to give her team a 25-22 lead heading into halftime.
“Getting the ball to (Yarbrough) was something that we worked on because we knew that she would be a lot bigger than them,” M-CHS head coach Tim Robinson said. “We were trying to get it down low.”
Entering the third quarter with a three-point lead, M-CHS benefited from a transition layup by Taelynn Comisky and a three-pointer from the left wing by Presley Frost during an 11-5 run that allowed the Lady Panthers to open up a 38-27 lead.
Sensing that his team needed a boost midway through the quarter, Robinson subbed all five of his starters with bench players and watched as Brianna Comisky, Malia Begay, Mackenzie Begay, and Liz Hughes built a 47-34 lead by the end of the quarter.
“I felt like the starting five was a little stale, so I took a gamble and put five in who were really hungry to play,” Robinson said. “It worked out; they played tough defense.”
Although Monte Vista did its best to mount a fourth-quarter comeback, the Lady Panthers held strong thanks in part to five late points from junior Hayden Leggett and two key free throws by Brianna Comisky.
Yarbrough’s 15 points represented a team-high for the Lady Panthers, while Brianna Comisky scored 13 points, and Leggett scored 10. After the contest, Yarbrough spoke of the significance of the win and the confidence level of her team moving forward.
“We were super-hyped because one of our teammates lost a family member,” Yarbrough said. “We played for them, and we got the win. It was pretty emotional. This (win) bumped our confidence level up a lot.”
One day after their victory, M-CHS traveled to Pagosa Springs and lost 58-20 to a tough Pagosa Springs team that has dominated Intermountain League competition this season. M-CHS’ record now stands at 4-8 overall and 1-5 in the Intermountain League.
Next up for the Lady Panthers will be a road matchup against Bayfield, which will take place on Feb. 1 at 6:15 p.m.