A lucky bounce here, a kind roll there and things might have turned out differently for the Mancos High School girls basketball team versus Ignacio.
In the end, the Bluejays fell just short of victory however, falling 57-54 to the Bobcats on Feb. 14.
Early in the contest, the Bluejays looked Jessica Gutierrez early and the sophomore delivered, scoring two points and delivering several assists during a first quarter that ended with Mancos trailing 14-12.
Ignacio quickly gained momentum however, pulling ahead 25-15 midway through the second quarter following a free throw by Gabriella Garcia, who led the Bobcats with 21 points.
Unable to contain Ignacio's guards, Mancos eventually fell behind 31-20 entering the half, leaving players and coaches searching for answers.
"We needed to help a little more on defense," said Gutierrez, discussing the first half.
Beginning the third quarter with a new game plan, the Bluejays consistently attacked the backside of Ignacio's zone defense, scoring on consecutive layups by Emily Funmaker to cut the deficit to 37-30.
The Bluejays pulled even closer in the fourth quarter and after a three by Brandi Bundy, the score stood favored Ignacio 37-34.
Ignacio regained their composure however, stretching their lead to 52-42 before a 16-4 Mancos run brought the score to 56-54 with 24 seconds to go.
Hoping to score coming out of a timeout, the Bluejays put the ball in the hands of Gutierrez, who, looking to make something happen, launched a pass over Funmaker's head and out of bounds.
Although the Bluejays regained possession after a missed free throw by Ignacio, a long three by Bundy clanged off the front rim, giving the Bobcats the victory.
As discouraging as the loss was however, the Bluejays could not help but be pleased by their resiliency during the back and forth contest.
"I think we have a lot of competitiveness and it comes out of us," said Bluejays' junior Tayler Goff.
Leading scorers for the Bluejays included Bundy (15 points), Funmaker (15 points) and Gutierrez (12 points).
With their season record now at 3-12, the Bluejays will begin preparing for a Feb. 21 home matchup versus Nucla.
