The Mancos Lady Blue Jays (5-7) weren’t intimidated by the Ignacio Bobcats (10-3) on Tuesday night.
And for nearly three quarters, the Lady Jays played right with CHSAANow’s No. 8 ranked team in Class 2A.
“Our first half was great,” Mancos head coach Mallory Morgan said following the game. “We came out of the locker room, unlike what we’ve been doing. We played three quarters with that team; we just let them take it in the fourth.”
The Lady Jays were patient offensively against the feisty Ignacio press. And by getting the ball to the middle of the floor and limiting turnovers, they were able to hold the Bobcats from getting too many easy baskets in transition.
“Something we’re trying to get through is: Don’t panic,” Morgan said explaining how her team prepared for the pressure. “We have ten seconds to get the ball across the floor, and I think tonight was the best we’ve broken the press for sure.”
Mancos junior Nicole Hess was aggressive early on, scoring nine first-quarter points, and Jessica Gutierrez chipped in a bucket in the opening frame to keep Mancos within six to start the second quarter trailing, 17-11.
Ignacio got buckets inside from Gibran Silva and Ellie Seibel to increase its lead to 11 early in the second, but Mancos used free throws to hang around. Ashley Cole was 2-of-2 from the stripe, and Hess and Gutierrez each connected on 2-of-4.
The Lady Jays’ only second-quarter field goal came on a Gutierrez drive, made possible after a steal by Emily Cole, that cut the Ignacio lead to eight. But the Bobcats would head to the locker room with a 29-19 lead.
Then in the third, Ignacio went back to the well.
Switching to a 2-3 zone, the Bobcats flustered the visiting Jays and forced turnovers. If there were guards leaking out, they pushed the ball up court for transition scores. If not, they worked the ball inside to Seibel. Seibel scored seven points in the third quarter and finished with a team-high 16.
“They’re a lot bigger than we are,” Morgan said. “I think for the most part we took care of their guards, but post defense-wise, we can’t be afraid to make contact. That’s part of our problem is that we don’t like contact.”
Fueled by Siebel’s scoring in the paint, the Bobcats stretched their lead to as many as 16 early in the third, but again the Blue Jays fought back.
Gutierrez knocked down two free throws and Brittney Peacock hit a jumper, and then a score by Hess with around two minutes remaining cut the lead to 11. But Ignacio closed out the quarter on a 5-0 run to start the final frame leading, 42-26.
And in the fourth, the Lady Jays got sloppy and Ignacio turned their turnovers into points on the other end to pull away with a 63-35 win.
“Tonight we looked a little gassed,” Morgan said of the final quarter. “They run the floor and that’s why we have to slow it down. We can’t get in a running game with these guys or that’s what’s going to happen. That’s what it was, we got a little gassed, we got a little lazy with the ball and they just scored off of that.”
After discussing her team’s woes in the final frame, Morgan broadened her scope and spoke of the game as a whole.
“Even though the score didn’t really reflect it – I think that’s the best we’ve played as a whole,” she said. “We weren’t intimidated, we weren’t scared, we just played – And that’s what we have to do.”
“And as far as the last time we played them,” she continued. “Much improved. Way better.”
Hess led Mancos in the loss with 17 points on the night and Gutierrez finished with eight.
Peacock scored all seven of her points in the second half, Ashley Cole chipped in a bucket and Emily Cole hit a free throw.