When the Montezuma-Cortez High School girls basketball team took the floor against Centauri on Feb. 2, most fans didn’t expect a competitive game.
But thanks to a stellar effort on both ends of the floor, the Lady Panthers kept things interesting during a 66-38 loss that was far more entertaining than expected.
“We knew that (Centauri) is good,” said M-CHS head coach John McHenry when asked about the No. 3 team in Colorado’s 3A classification. “We respected them, but we were still going to hustle and be competitive. We were happy with the moral victory.
Among the surprises was the Lady Panthers’ ability to generate scoring opportunities on the offensive end against Centauri’s pressure defense, which held M-CHS to four points in the first half and 17 total points when the teams played earlier this season.
Ayanna Silas enjoyed a productive first half as the M-CHS junior scored all six of her points and set up teammates with good looks at the basket. Thanks in large part to Silas, M-CHS trailed 18-8 at the end of the first quarter and 33-17 at the half.
Also impressive was the Panthers’ ability to break Centauri’s full-court press, which forced M-CHS to commit turnovers during the teams’ first meeting.
“We still had turnovers, but not nearly as many as we committed earlier in the season,” McHenry said. “I can actually see our team starting to take things a little slower and being a little more precise with where they put the ball. We’re doing a better job of being patient and not treating the ball like a hot potato.”
Still, Centauri built a sizable second-half lead thanks to the offensive rebounding of junior Melissa Wilson and senior Caroline Van Berkum.
At times in the second half, Lady Panthers’ players were unable to box out their physical opponents as Centauri generated three, four, even five opportunities on several offensive possessions.
“We worked together as a team, and we did way better than the first time that we played them,” Payton Keith said. “They are a tough team, though, and the game was very physical. My head hurts.”
After Centauri pulled ahead 52-22 midway through the third quarter, M-CHS went on a 6-0 run to close the quarter, which was keyed by drives to the hoop by sophomore Taelyn Comisky and sophomore Malia Begay.
Ten Panthers scored, including sophomore Presley Frost, who led the team with seven points. Silas and Begay scored six, and Keith and Devon McHenry each scored four. Ember Canty scored 17 points to lead Centauri.
“I think we did a good job of staying positive tonight,” Comisky said.
The Lady Panthers fell to 3-13 on the season, while Centauri improved to 16-1. M-CHS played at home against Monte Vista on Feb. 3, but a final score and stats were not available.
The Lady Panthers next go to Pagosa Springs, at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 9.
