M-CHS went inside to senior Tayla Topaha early and often, and her eight first-quarter points helped push the Panthers into the second frame with a 15-10 lead.
From there, the Panthers were able to play inside-out. And with the Bayfield defense collapsing inside on Topaha and senior Kelcie Ralstin, they were able to kick the ball out for open shots on the perimeter.
Senior Kiselya Plewe knocked down a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, and moments later she hit another from deep on a to put the Panthers up by 11.
Ralstin connected on a jumper later in the quarter, and Aeisha Capitan hit her second 3-pointer of the game to go to the break with a 28-20 advantage.
The home squad built a 13-point lead in the third quarter, but Bayfield closed on a 7-0 run to start the fourth down just nine.
The Wolverines would pull within seven in the final frame, but M-CHS senior Yanibah Bayles put the nail in the coffin with back-to-back triples to push the lead to 13.
From there, Ralstin and Simone Lopez would add insurance buckets, and the Panthers would go on to a 56-39 win.
Head coach John McHenry said that after beating the Wolverines earlier this season by 30 points, his team might not have had the focus that he would’ve preferred on Saturday.
“They knew that they could beat this team, and they just let them hang around,” he said after the game. “We need to just get that killer instinct to not do that and not have mental lapses. But other than that, it’s a great win.”
The Lady Panthers dropped Friday’s contest to CHSAANow’s No. 1-ranked 3A team, Pagosa Springs (17-0), 50-31, but Saturday’s win sends them to the postseason on a high note.
“It sets the mood and sets the tone,” McHenry said. “We had to have this one in order to make ourselves feel better.”
M-CHS’ playoff future is yet to be determined, but McHenry believes the Panthers will most likely be matched up in a pigtail contest against Alamosa (7-11) on Tuesday, Feb. 23.
