Leading the way for the Lady Jays was sophomore Isis Jaime, who scored a career-high 23 points in a scintillating individual performance that might not have been possible early in the season.
“I was not confident in myself early in the season, but coach (Cory Cole) has stepped up my confidence,” Jaime said. “Tonight, I just kept shooting, and the ball kept going in.”
While Jaime’s hot shooting stole the show, the team’s ability to move the ball offensively complemented the effort. Several times, Mancos players patiently swung the ball around the perimeter to set up open shots.
“We worked on a difference offense,” said Mancos head coach Cory Cole. “The girls had to step up with the injuries and get a win was good for us. We needed that.”
Mancos led 13-6 after the first quarter and 26-14 at halftime as Jaime and Emmalee Asnicar combined for 17 first-half points. Senior Ashley Cole also played a significant role in the first half as the Lady Jays primary ball handler facilitated the offense and scored five first-half points.
Looking to extend its lead in the second half, Mancos put the ball in Jaime’s hands and watched as the sophomore scored nine straight points, which came on three jump shots and a 3-pointer from the left wing.
Freshman Madi Hale entered the game midway through the third quarter, and with her team ahead 35-21, grabbed several offensive rebounds and scored four straight points to put Mancos ahead 39-23.
Asnicar put the finishing touches on the Lady Jays impressive quarter with an offensive rebound and score just before the third-quarter buzzer. The sophomore scored two more points in the fourth quarter and finished with 10 points in the game.
“We just knew that we had to take this game seriously,” Asnicar said. “We had won against (Ridgway) before, but we had to take it like another game and bring it to them.”
Mancos improved to 2-11 overall and 2-6 in the San Juan Basin League with the victory. Ridgway dropped to 0-15 overall and 0-8 in the SJBL with the loss.
Next up for the Lady Jays will be a road game against Dove Creek, which is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Feb. 6.
“Our team wants to win a few more games and work together more,” Jaime said. “Hopefully, we’ll keep improving and win a few more.”
