The demons of close games past returned to haunt the Bayfield High School basketball team Tuesday.
BHS performed an exorcism Saturday after beating Monte Vista, but Pagosa Springs reminded the Wolverines of their earlier league failings.
The Pirates held on for a 44-39 victory in Bayfield after holding off a Wolverines’ rally.
“I think our kids did a great job of staying poised and fighting. Bayfield’s a good basketball team,” Pagosa Springs head coach Randy Sorenson said. “They pressured us and were doing a great job. We just had to hold it togoether there at the end.”
BHS (9-8, 1-6 Intermountain League) cut its deficit to to three when freshman Ryan Phelps shook his defender with an up-and-under and hit the layup.
Luke Devooght missed a layup on Pagosa Springs’ next trip down, and the Wolverines had the ball and a chance to tie the game with 38 seconds left.
BHS senior Dillon Hoselton attacked the lane and missed a layup over a Pirates’ defender with 20 seconds remaining.
“Coach told us to get the quickest open shot we could get,” said Hoselton, son of Rick and Stephanie Hoselton. “I saw the drive, and that’s what I took.”
Keaton Smyth rebounded Hoselton’s miss and immediately was fouled.
He made his first free throw and missed the second, but Briar Erskine was there for the offensive board.
BHS fouled him, and Erskine sank two free throws to clinch the win.
BHS head coach Jeff Lehnus had no issues with how his team handled its most crucial crunch time possession.
“You don’t want to just throw up a 3. The objective was not to panic,” he said. “I was fine with the thought process. They understood what to do.”
Yet it still wasn’t enough for the Wolverines at the end of another close league game.
They’ve lost four out of the seven IML games they’ve played by less than 10 points.
“It’s definitely tough, especially as a senior,” Hoselton said. “It’s teaching us how we need to finish the game.”
Hoselton scored six points on the night for BHS, who were led by senior Preston Hardy’s 12.
He finally looked healthy after a long flu bout, but the Wolverines couldn’t put their best full team on the floor because Zane Phelps was suspended after being ejected from the win over Monte Vista.
That hurt them on the boards, as BHS only grabbed 22 rebounds.
“You don’t have to score a lot every night, but he rebounds,” Lehnus said of Zane Phelps. “He’s good for eight boards and maybe eight points. Do the math.”
The loss ends Bayfield’s home season, but they finish out the regular season Thursday at Centauri before entering IML tournament play.
“It hurts to lose senior night. I feel bad for them,” Lehnus said. “I thought it was a great effort. You have to believe in the progress, so for the tournament, when it matters most anyway, we can play our best ball.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
