The Pagosa Springs High School girls’ basketball team flexed its signature defense during the season’s first conference matchups last weekend, defeating squads in Monte Vista and Ignacio to go 2-0 in the 3A/4A Intermountain League.
Against Monte Vista on Jan. 17, the Lady Pirates limited their hosts to single-digit points for the first, third and fourth quarters, and led the contest throughout.
At the start of the third quarter, ahead by four, Pagosa tallied 12 points to Monte Vista’s six, extending the team’s lead to 10 by the start of the fourth.
In the final quarter, the Lady Pirates held Monte Vista to four points and added another 10 of their own to win their conference debut 42-26.
“We played well in both Ignacio and Monte Vista as a team,” coach Sarah Osborn wrote in an email to The SUN. “Our senior guards did a good job of getting everyone involved in the game and leading us on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.”
Against Monte Vista, Elizabeth Currier and Karsyn Shahan led in scoring with 15 points each, with the remainder distributed among the squad. Shahan put up one 3-pointer in the game, as did Amber Snarr.
Leading in rebounds was Lexi Campbell and Currier, who each brought down six for the night. Currier also led the night in assists with five.
The team had 17 turnovers against Monte Vista but also 17 defensive rebounds in addition to eight steals.
The Lady Pirates made 12 of 19 attempts from the free-throw line.
In Ignacio on Jan. 18, the Lady Pirates again deployed their defensive strength to hold the Bobcats to five and six points in every quarter while picking up a 51-22 win.
“We were really excited to see our post play dominate the game,” Osborn wrote.
Leading the Pagosa offense was Kaila Limebrook with 12 points on the night, followed by Shahan with 10, which included three 3-pointers, and Currier with nine points, which included two 3-pointers.
Limebrook also led the team in rebounds, tallying nine offensive and one defensive. Currier brought down eight rebounds and Shahan had seven.
Shahan led the team in assists with five; she and Ketchum also added three steals each.
“[Limebrook] had her first double double as a varsity player and played a huge role for us in that game,” Osborn reflects. “She crashed the boards hard and got us extra possessions and finished from the free throw line.”
The team made five of 10 free-throw attempts in the game.
Looking ahead, Osborn noted a feeling of collective excitement as the team heads into home games this Friday and Saturday.
“We are excited about how we are playing currently as a team and look forward to our continued progression throughout the season,” she wrote.
The Lady Pirates, 7-4 overall, are scheduled to continue league play Jan. 24-25 as hosts to Alamosa and Montezuma-Cortez.
Tip off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday against the Alamosa Mean Moose, also 2-0 in league play and with an 8-3 overall record.
The squad is then scheduled to face the Montezuma-Cortez Panthers, currently 0-2 in league play and with a 3-7 overall record, at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Both games are set to take place at Pagosa Springs High School.
Alamosa is currently ranked third in 3A/4A Intermountain League standings while Montezuma-Cortez is sixth. Pagosa Springs stands in second.
Then, on Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Lady Pirates will take a break from league action to take on the 2A Del Norte Tigers in Del Norte at 5:30 p.m.
The Tigers are 7-2 on the season.
garrett@pagosasun.com
