Two struggling girls basketball teams took the floor Friday night at Durango High School.
Rivals Montezuma-Cortez and Durango combined for a paltry 8-21 record before tipoff.
Someone had to win and the home Lady Demons quickly made sure who that was going to be.
The taller and more athletic Durango girls did not look like a struggling 3-11 team, as Molly Barnes out-scored the visiting Lady Panthers 10-8 in the first quarter alone.
Montezuma-Cortez High School never led and continued its struggles, losing big, 57-30.
Its just been really hard to kind of get the energy and the attitude up once the girls start to get behind, Lady Panthers coach Justine Bayles said. Right now, I think its more of a mental issue with the way that their playing more than it is a skill. We need to get past the idea of when we are behind, the game is over. We need to keep fighting to the end.
Randy Elliot scored six first quarter points, two came on a driving layup to cut the score to 10-8 for M-CHS (5-11, 0-5 5A/4A Southwestern League).
However, Elliot would only score one more point the rest of the game, as the Lady Panthers offense went completely inept.
Durango (4-11, 2-3 SWL) stepped on the gas with an 18-2 scoring spurt that spanned into the second quarter to take a 28-10 lead. A Baylee Lindsley 3-pointer stopped the bleeding, making the score 28-13.
The Lady Demons increased their margin to 34-15 at halftime.
Durango continued to out-hustle and out-muscle the Lady Panthers in the second half. Every loose ball, every offensive rebound, simply went the way of the Lady Demons.
M-CHS just couldnt buy a bucket, shooting 9 of 53 overall (.16).
They have a lot of girls bigger than us, but weve played teams that had big girls as well. I think we can play with them. We just all need to get our heads focused and into the game, Lindsley said. We all just need to want it more.
Sydney Bayles led the Lady Panthers with eight points and Elliot scored seven. Lindsley made the only 3-pointer for M-CHS.
Baylee Lindsley is an incredible athlete, Justine Bayles said. Shes the one girl who played strong until the end. She never gets upset, she never comes out. She plays an incredible game from beginning until the end. Shes just working, working, working.
Barnes notched a game and career high 15 points for Durango.
M-CHS will host Montrose and Grand Junction Central on Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and noon.
Both teams are pretty good, Lindsley said. Montrose is definitely harder. I think if we can be faster moving up and down the court, and play some better defense, and capitalize on all our shots, I think we can come out with the win(s).
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.
