It's been a jam fest recently in the Bayfield gym.
Durango junior forward/center Steven Wyman made a surprise one-handed stuff to help get the guests off on the right foot on Tuesday.
"It was pretty cool to see another," admitted BHS freshman guard Keyon Prior, alluding to sophomore teammate Ryan Phelps' transition flush-on the same basket-during the Wolverines' previous home game last Friday versus Pagosa Springs (a 52-40 loss). "But it didn't really affect us. Not really."
Able to disregard the Demon's early dunk, then weather a fairly constant hail of three-pointers, Bayfield held on to pick up a needed victory, 56 to 52, in preparation for this weekend's 3A Intermountain League games out in the San Luis Valley.
Phelps led all players with 19 points, Prior had 13 and senior Zane Phelps seven as BHS improved to 6-8 (still 0-3 in the IML) overall. Bayfield faces Centauri (3-10, 1-3) tonight in La Jara and visiting Alamosa tomorrow.
The Falcons will be playing their first game since last Saturday's 68-43 home loss to non-league 3A Lamar, while the #9-ranked Mean Moose (10-4, 3-0) will prep for the Wolverines tonight at PSHS (also 10-4, 3-0).
"We need to be ready to play great back-to-back games," Prior said. "Need to work hard in practice and get ready for a physical game on Friday and Saturday."
BHS senior guard Taed Heydinger's buzzer-beating basket put the Wolverines up 12-10 after the first quarter, but with 4A DHS' JV able to eventually shrink a nine-point (19-10) deficit all the way back down to just one (53-52) late in the fight via a Wyman layup, there was no more closely-watched Demon than Kyle Kirkpatrick.
Already with two (of three) treys and 10 total points in the period, every white uniform had to be aware of his whereabouts as Heydinger stepped to the free-throw line for two crucial charity shots and only 0:13 remaining.
Fortunately, Durango's Kyle Kirkpatrick (17 total points) wouldn't get close to the ball until missing a meaningless fall-away triple as the buzzer sounded. Heydinger made his first freethrow and missed the second-an answer to Durango's prayers-but Ryan Phelps leapt in to grab the rebound and kick it back out top to Prior. Prior was in turn fouled by a most reluctant Kirkpatrick.
Teaming with Phelps to go 11-of-15 in the scorebook from the stripe, Prior then sank two of three tries to salt away the win, barring a complete disaster on Kirkpatrick's desperation heave from the corner at the other end.
"Coach told us we need to start closing on shooters," said Prior. "Number Three-I think Kyle's his name-started warming up; we needed to close out on him. Defense at the end got better than it was in the first half. In the first half we were rushing stuff, getting stupid turnovers, and free throws helped a lot."
Long-range makes did also; Bayfield canned an unexpected three threes-a key one by freshman reserve Hayden Farmer immediately offset Kirkpatrick's first-during the second quarter to go into halftime up 31-25. Four-of-five freethrow shooting between Farmer, Prior and Ryan Phelps during the third quarter then helped the Wolverines keep a 39-35 advantage beginning the fourth.
Bayfield ultimately dominated Durango at the foul line, 18-of-24 as compared to 4-of-7.
"I think the key tonight was.we started being more patient and running our offense near the end," Prior said, undoubtedly recalling the innumerable times head coach Jeff Lehnus shouted "Patience!" during the game.
"And our threes helped a lot; we haven't had shooting in that for like a stretch of four, five games now," noted Prior, "and it helped a lot to get our confidence back up."
Wyman finished with 16 points, and juniors Javier Quezada and Jordan Shefford each netted five in defeat for the Demon JV, while Heydinger and Farmer each scored five in triumph for BHS. Junior Fred Edwards came off Lehnus' bench to score four, and starting sophomore guard Hunter Killough scored three.
