CORTEZ – For Durango head coach Lauren Moran, leaning on the three‑ball wasn’t necessarily plan A. However, after her Demons dropped in seven triples in the first half of their 45‑33 win over Montezuma‑Cortez, Moran couldn’t bring herself to be too upset. In a game that both the Demons and Panthers wanted to nab before they each returned to league play, Durango (8‑6, 1‑1 6A/5A SWL) seized control early in the second quarter behind its perimeter barrage, forcing the hosts to play catch‑up the rest of the way.
“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.”
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.
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 consecutive in the series between the two schools – helped refocus Moran’s group after an up‑and‑down trip to the Grand Valley to open Southwestern League play, where the Demons posted a win over GJ Central before a tough loss to Palisade. A visit from 5A No. 4 Montrose on Saturday, followed by a trip to Fruita‑Monument and Grand Junction next weekend, will give DHS a full plate as the team looks to build its postseason resume.
“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 night marked their fourth straight contest where they battled high‑quality programs for four quarters – and while the Panthers dropped all four outings, they continued to solidify their confidence that their disciplined defense can keep them in the game with anyone in the region. Head coach M.E. Haley’s bunch will get a chance to bounce back with a trip to Pagosa Springs on Saturday before returning to The Jungle on Tuesday to face Ignacio.
